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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25993369">Esto quod es (Be What You Are)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiaya/pseuds/Kiaya'>Kiaya</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Acts of Kindness, Alternate Universe - Non-Immortal (The Old Guard), Blow Jobs, Co-workers, Cooking, Erotic Poetry, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gotta order delivery sometimes, Humor, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova are in Love, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani is an Incurable Romantic, M/M, Playful Sex, Restaurants, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:40:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>48,627</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25993369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiaya/pseuds/Kiaya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU - The Old Guard. It's set in modern times within the crazy and bustling world of the restaurant industry. Joe is a burned out former hedge fund manager that quits and discovers a new life through cooking. Nicky is the head chef that Joe has his eyes on. Add in some interfering co-workers and it's going to get spicy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>367</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Joe stared down at his hands as the rain slowly trickled down his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He barely heard the sound of cars and pedestrians passing by as he sat near a busy intersection. People gave quick glances at the man slumped against the wall of the skyscraper but then looked away before making eye contact. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway because Joe was in no mood to talk to anyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eight years. Eight years of exhaustion, tears, and sacrifice. He had poured everything into building his career and in a fit of rage, he had gotten into a screaming match with his boss and quit. If he was honest with himself, this had been inevitable. He had only started the job for the most mercenary of reasons and his heart had never truly been in it. Instead, he had tried to ignore all the signs of burnout and apathy by working even harder. Any attachments and relationships had fallen by the wayside to his foolishness and now he was paying the price.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess I’m not making partner now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe laughed bitterly at the thought. All of his old aspirations felt so hollow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In time, he came to realize how uncomfortable he was. His suit was wet and his back ached from leaning against the marble wall. He slowly untangled his long limbs and got up. With no destination in mind, he started walking down the street.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rain started coming down even harder. He slowly weaved his way through the throngs of umbrellas and faceless people who took shelter underneath them. He had already been outside for an hour so getting wetter wasn’t going to change anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While he was waiting at a red light, a brightly lit sign caught the corner of his eye. He turned and saw the double doors set discreetly on the side of the large building. The sign glowed a warm gold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ricordi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe was unfamiliar with the word so he took out his phone and did a quick search. The results came back as Italian. It meant “To remember” or “Memories”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe huffed in exasperation. As though remembering was anything he wanted to do right now. But something about the warm glow of the sign drew him. He was wet, cold, and had not eaten all day. Perhaps a stop inside a warm restaurant wasn’t the worst idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He crossed the street and made his way to the entrance. He pushed the door and was surprised how firmly the door held. He pushed harder and then he was inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first sight that greeted him was a hostess standing by her podium. She smiled brightly and gestured a welcome to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello and welcome to Ricordi. Dinner for one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe looked around the entrance and was immediately struck by the plush interior. The walls were painted a soft dove grey. The ceiling was high and painted black so it looked like it went up forever. All the booths and tables used a deep rich wood that made him think of dark red velvet. The lighting was subtle but done in such a way that each table looked intimate and secluded. The whole restaurant exuded comfort using clean simple lines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe whipped his head back to the hostess and smiled sheepishly. He pointed to his wet coat. “I hope you don’t mind that I got caught in the rain.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course not. Would you like a towel to dry off while you get comfortable?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head to decline. “No, it’s quite all right. But I would love to sit down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Certainly. Please follow me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She picked up a menu and beckoned him towards her. He was shown to a corner booth near the back of the restaurant where he could savor the isolation. It felt better to be in a warm building but he still didn’t feel too social after the disastrous day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hostess placed the menu in front of him and flashed him another bright smile. “Your waiter will be here shortly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded a thanks to her and was relieved when she left. Now he could drop the polite pretense and be allowed to sink into his misery. He looked at the menu and slowly traced the gold embossed word on the front. Ricordi. Memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe was suddenly transported back to his boss’s office on the 60</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span> floor of the high rise building where he had toiled for the last few years. He had started from the bottom and worked himself almost to death to make it to senior portfolio manager. Everyday, millions and billions of dollars passed through his hands like water flowing from his fingertips. He had reveled in the challenge of it. Even at times enjoyed the fruits of his labor. He had thought this was what would open up better opportunities in his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was before he came home to his condo and found it strangely empty. Only a note was left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Did you even love me? Or just the idea of having me around, waiting for you? Sorry but I won’t wait anymore. I have found someone else. Perhaps you should too.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The shock had hit Joe like a truck. He knew that he had been neglectful at times but his work was time consuming. Joe had thought they had an understanding. He thought he had made it clear that if he took his eyes off the prize, it could all come tumbling down. But unbeknownst to him, something else already had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he had asked his boss for a vacation. Just a little getaway to recharge and regroup. But it had gone sideways just like his relationship.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Are you kidding me, Joe? A vacation? I just gave you the Whitney account and you think you can walk away right now?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Joe tried to remain calm as he watched Phil’s face flush red with anger. “I know it’s sudden but you know I work all the time. When was the last time I had a vacation? I just need a few weeks.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is bullshit, Joe! You think this is the kind of dedication that’s going to make you a partner someday? Fucking get over it! So you got dumped. Big fucking deal! Why don’t you use all the money you made and go buy another hole you can stick your dick into!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that’s when Joe had punched Phil in the face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe groaned and rubbed his hands over his eyes. Just remembering it made his whole body cringe in horror. Why had he done that? What was he expecting? Sympathy? Definitely not from Phil. That asshole had shipped off all his kids to boarding school and was cheating on his wife with a woman who was half his age.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he knew why he had exploded. It was because he finally saw the reality of his life. His lover had left him for another because he had been a terrible boyfriend. His boss only saw him as another drone to work to death and add to his own wealth. In the face of such utter disillusionment, everything had felt meaningless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn’t realize that someone was standing by him. Joe looked up and tried to smile an apology at the waiter who had been patiently waiting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh… I’m sorry but I haven’t really looked at the menu yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The waiter nodded his head politely. “It’s not a problem, sir. Please take your time. Shall I get you a glass of water to start?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After he nodded an agreement, the waiter left to get the water. Joe went back to staring at the menu cover as his mind settled back down into numbness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He vaguely registered the water glass being placed on the table before he went back to his brooding thoughts. Time passed and the candle centerpiece drew his eyes to its soft flickering warmth.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe this is karma. Maybe being alone is what I deserve.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe wasn’t sure how long he kept brooding in silence when a plate was placed in front of him. He looked up in surprise at the waiter. “I’m sorry but I didn’t order this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The waiter smiled gently and gestured toward the food. “This is on the house. Compliments of the chef.” He pointed toward the open kitchen that was brightly lit and bustling with activity. “It’s the gentleman standing at the end.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe looked across the restaurant floor and his eyes found the person in question. He had his back turned toward Joe so he couldn’t see his face. But he did see the dark brown hair that was curling slightly at the nape of his neck. When he reached across for a mixing bowl, Joe saw that his left arm had a large intricate tattoo along the side. He couldn’t make out the details but he saw the shape of a shield.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why would he do this? Do I look that pitiful?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked down and saw that it was a plate of ravioli. They were smaller than usual and there was some kind of creamy sauce on top. Delicate tendrils of shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and black pepper flecked the top. It looked incredibly simple but Joe knew that looks could be deceiving.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, he picked up his fork and brought a delicate morsel into his mouth. When it reached his tongue, he immediately closed his eyes in pure bliss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a time when Joe had enjoyed food. Some of his fondest memories involved eating his mother’s home cooking. He still remembered the delicious heat of the harissa and the aromatic smell of lamb that would permeate the whole house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that was before he threw himself into his work. That’s when food had become just fuel. Something to feed his body and sustain his cells. His palate had suffered for it and he could not for the life of him figure out what was inside the ravioli.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cut one apart and inspected the filling. It was mostly orange with specks of something white and green. The flavors were layered and complex. Sweet but also with a nutty savory note that gently coated the tongue. But the best part was the pasta itself. He had never had ravioli that was so tender and yet still created such a satisfying mouthful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe barely breathed while he devoured the meal. A part of his brain wanted to slow down and savor each bite but his stomach was crying out like a starved cat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He put down his fork and leaned back. He couldn’t remember the last time he had such a wonderful dish. Or what it felt like to take pleasure in something as simple as eating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahem.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Surprised, Joe turned and saw the waiter again. He didn’t understand how this man could be so stealthy that he was constantly sneaking up on Joe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was the meal to your liking?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes. It was amazing.” He started reaching for his wallet when the waiter shook his head and waved him away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My chef would not be happy with me if I took your payment.” He reached over and placed something else on the table. “One more item from him to you. Please take your time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The waiter bowed and quietly left. Joe looked again towards the open kitchen but the mysterious chef was now gone. So Joe looked at his new surprise instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the table was a blue umbrella. It was one of those compact umbrellas that was easily stored and carried around. There was also a note. Joe gently picked up the thick paper and unfolded it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please get home safely.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His throat felt so thick he could barely swallow. Never in his life had he been shown such simple kindness by a stranger. The note that had greeted him last night had shredded his heart but this new one filled it with such aching warmth. The taste of delicious food still lingered in his mouth and it was one he could not put a name to. The black gnawing hole that had threatened to claw out his chest was stoppered by a tide of indescribable emotion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Joe put his face in his hands and wept.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> *****</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>2 Years Later</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky stirred his wooden spoon through the thickening red sauce.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was early morning before most of the staff showed up. It was his favorite part of the day because it let him plan in peace. Usually the only one who was here before him was Nile but that’s the life of a pastry chef. Dough waits for no one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hummed along with the radio as he added more herbs and spices to the pot. It was some Top 40 radio station that Nile liked to put on so she could sing along. She teased him mercilessly that it was his secret guilty pleasure too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A bubble popped from the sauce and splattered on Nicky’s wrist. He licked it off automatically and realized it still needed another hour to cook down. There were many risks that Nicky was willing to take with his food but not his grandmother’s original tomato sauce recipe. That would be sacrilege. So instead, he nursed the giant pot of tomatoes for hours until it was just perfect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Nicky, Andy is asking for you in her office.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned around to see Nile standing by the doorway. She already had a smudge of flour on her cheek which made her look even more endearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. I’ll be up there in a moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nile nodded and returned to her task. Nicky sighed and adjusted the temperature for the sauce before he stepped away from the stove. He climbed the steps to the upstairs area that was reserved for employees and office space. He approached the door marked with a placard that read “General Manager” and knocked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come in!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Andy squinting at her computer in annoyance. She was clicking with her mouse in an aggressive manner that made him wonder if he needed to dodge any projectiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you need some help with that?” Nicky tried to hide the smile from his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andy shot him a dirty look. “I was doing just fine until they updated this stupid software. It was working great so why change it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because things change, Andy, and so must you.” Nicky spread his palms wide as though delivering a sermon. “Accept the love of the Computer Gods, Andromache. Let them into your heart so you too shall know the joys of-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky ducked and just barely dodged the memo pad that flew over his head. He started laughing while Andy scowled at him even more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t call you up here so you can point out how computers hate me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky grinned and sat down across from her. “So why did you call me up then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Booker just texted me. He said he was severely hung over and would be late. Again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smile dropped from his face instantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the fourth time this month.” Andy looked at Nicky carefully. “You know we need to do something about this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sighing deeply, he rubbed his face in frustration. Nicky and Andy had known Booker for a long time and had tried many times to intervene in his self-destruction. Booker had always been a bit of a loose cannon but everything had gotten much worse after his divorce. No matter how talented the man was, if his dependence on alcohol was not resolved, Nicky knew this was not going to end well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. I’ll try to talk to him again.” Nicky smiled grimly at Andy. “I might just have to bash him over the head to get some sense into him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andy snorted derisively. “Whatever you use to hit him will probably break on impact.” She turned around in her chair and reached into one of her drawers. She brought out a large manila envelope and presented it to Nicky. “Since Booker isn’t here to handle this, now it’s on you. Copley sent us the resume of the latest intern who wants to slave away for free. According to him, this one is pretty good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky contorted his face into mock horror. “I will have you know that none of my past interns were enslaved.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, tell that to the last one who only peeled potatoes for the first two weeks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, that was Booker’s idea!” Nicky protested. “Besides, by the end of it he could peel any vegetables in his sleep. It’s an important skill.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to her computer screen. “Whatever. Just take a look.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opened the envelope and took out the resume inside. He was impressed with the quality of the paper used and it even had a cover page. Some people didn’t care for those but Nicky always liked learning a bit more about any candidate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first thing he noticed was the picture. It was a man who looked to be in his early 30s with a closely cropped beard and dark curly hair. He had an easy smile that also showed in his eyes. Nicky didn’t realize he had sucked in his breath in surprise until Andy looked up from her screen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky flushed red with embarrassment and tried to play nonchalant. “It’s nothing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cocked one eyebrow up dramatically and leaned over to look at the resume. She blew a low whistle when she saw the picture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well well well… looks like our next intern is quite the looker.” Andy smirked at Nicky knowingly. “So when was the last time you got laid?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky slapped the resume closed. “That has nothing to do with it. You know my rule. I never sleep with co-workers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think you can tell Booker that too? I think I’m about to lose another bartender who got her little heart broken over our Frenchman.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a headache that was starting to brew between Nicky’s eyes over this news. He added another bullet point in his mental list of things that he and Booker needed to address.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky looked down at the resume in his lap and opened it again. He didn’t want to admit it but Andy was right… this guy was totally up his alley. He scanned the page for a name and read it out loud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yusuf al-Kaysani. That’s quite a name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Andy smirked at him. “That’s rich coming from you, Nicolo di Genova.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked down at his left forearm where his Genova family coat of arms was tattooed predominantly along the side. The large elaborate shield design was always a conversation starter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I guess we can’t all be named after Amazon queens like you, Andromache.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She threw another memo pad at him as he laughed and dodged.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is my incredibly self-indulgent Joe x Nicky AU fic. I hope you aren't too hungry because I will be describing food a lot. You can find me at <a href="https://kiaya.tumblr.com/">my Tumblr page</a>. Let me know if you have any questions!</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. First Meeting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Joe was trying not to get too excited.</p><p>He was currently waiting outside the office of the Culinary Academy's dean, James Copley. His internship interview was today and he had come to get the last of his paperwork. He was also hoping for some advice so he can nail down the position.</p><p>Two years ago, Joe had a life changing moment that had set him on a completely new path. The plate of ravioli which had reduced him to tears was the spark. He sold his condo and anything that had ties to his old life. He got a loft near the former industrial district that was converted into a modern hub of art studios, boutiques, and farmers markets. The vibe of the neighborhood was completely different from his former sleek high rise condo. He liked it that way.</p><p>When he had finally decided to go to culinary school, his family was quite surprised. His older sister was shocked at the abrupt nature of his decision. His mother had seem much less stunned. Myriam had suspected for a while that Joe had been unhappy and needed a change.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>"Culinary school?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Joe looked up from his dinner plate and nodded an affirmative at his sister. "Yeah. I think it could be really fun and interesting."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His sister, Yasmine, looked at him incredulously. "Do you even know how to cook?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I know how to make some basic stuff. Besides, isn't the whole point of going to school is that I can learn?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Have you decided which school to apply to?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Joe took another bite of his food. "The Culinary Academy."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yasmine started looking at her phone and then revealed her search results. "It says here that it has 2.5 out of 5 stars. Geez, look at all these bad reviews!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Joe laughed. "I've seen those. My favorite is the one about how the Culinary Academy is The Hunger Games and Top Chef combined."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She looked at him with doubt on her face. "Didn't you just leave your old job because it was stressful?" She gestured toward her phone. "This doesn't sound much better."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's not the stress that was bad. It's that it was so dissatisfying and unfulfilling. The reason why there are so many bad reviews is because the school has a really challenging curriculum." Joe grinned. "And I enjoy a challenge."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yasmine rolled her eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Myriam took a slow sip of her water before she spoke. "Yusuf."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Joe stopped eating to give his mother his full attention. Everyone called him Joe, including his sister, but his mother always called him by his given name.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You are a grown man and you can make your own decisions. I know that your old job was making you unhappy. If you think this new career seems more fulfilling, then it's worth a try."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Joe smiled and leaned over to give her a kiss on her cheek. She swatted him away with a laugh.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Do you think Dad would have been upset by my decision?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Myriam looked at the large family photo on the wall behind Joe. It had been taken three years before cancer had stolen her husband away. She smiled and shook her head. "No, I don't think so. He probably would have laughed and reminded you not to accidentally poison someone with your food."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Joe chuckled at the memory. Then his reminiscing was interrupted by the office door opening.</p><p>"Hello Joe. Thanks for coming early. Come on in.” Copley stepped back inside with a beckoning motion.</p><p>With a spring in his step, Joe got up from the chair and went inside the dean’s office. The smell of fresh brewed coffee hit his nostrils. Copley was standing by a very fancy looking coffee machine while he poured cream and sugar into his mug.</p><p>“One of the perks of being a dean of this school is that I get to drown in as much caffeine as I want. Would you like a cup?” Copley pointed toward the machine.</p><p>Joe shook his head. “No, thank you. But I appreciate the offer.”</p><p>Copley kept stirring his coffee while he settled into his seat. He shuffled some papers aside until he found the one he wanted. “Ah here we go. Your application for internship has processed successfully. I’m glad that your first choice had an opening. That place is always high on demand.”</p><p>Joe almost vibrated with excitement. Although he had been required to list three potential places for onsite work experience, there had only been one place he truly wanted. Ricordi.</p><p>“I know you already have an interview today so that’s one less detail to worry about. I just need you to give this to the head chef so he knows the requirements you must meet to graduate.”</p><p>Joe took the papers and scanned them quickly. “Who is the head chef at Ricordi?”</p><p>“His name is Nicky. He is actually an alumni of this school. It’s one of the reasons why his restaurant has a partnership with us for taking on interns.”</p><p>This was news to Joe. He had no idea that he could be working for a former student. “What was he like? Did he like it here?”</p><p>Copley leaned back into his chair and smiled ruefully. “That’s an interesting question. The years that Nicky was enrolled at the Academy, it had been a particularly turbulent time. I was still fairly new to the job and I couldn’t hire a decent chef to teach the banquet class. It felt like I was trying to find a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”</p><p>Joe’s eyebrows shot up. “Did you just make a Harry Potter reference?”</p><p>Copley pointed behind him at the bookcase. Joe looked up and saw the many framed pictures of his family. One particular one had Copley, his wife, and three children all smiling while holding wands and wearing stripped scarves. Copley himself was sporting one with red and yellow stripes.</p><p>“You don’t strike me as Gryffindor. I think you’re more likely to be Slytherin.”</p><p>His comment was met with disdain. “You’re lucky your grades are already in the system or I would have flunked you for that,” huffed Copley.</p><p>Joe laughed and shook his head in pretend horror.</p><p>“Anyways,” continued Copley. “That year I had hired this chef from Austria to teach the banquet class. He came with great recommendation and at the start it was going well. But as time passed, problems started cropping up. Then one day it took a turn for the worse.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Copley’s office door slammed open and he almost dropped his coffee cup into his lap. A panicked looking student was panting with effort as though he had run all the way to his 4th floor office.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You have to come to the banquet class right away! Chef Muller is going crazy!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He got up and quickly followed the student back to the class. As he was approaching the double doors, he heard shouting and something shattering on the floor. He ran inside and saw the shocking scene unfold before him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Chef Muller was screaming at a girl who was cowering in fear against the wall. There were broken plates and spilled food everywhere. The other students were at the other end of the room, hoping some distance would shield them from his outburst.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The only thing that stood between Chef Muller and the crying girl was Nicky. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He was only 18 years old at the time which was unusual because the Academy was known for being difficult. Most kids straight out of high school didn’t want to go through such a rigorous training. But Nicky had impressed Copley at his application interview so he had accepted him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Before Copley could intervene, he watched in horror as Chef Muller lifted a heavy ramekin and hurled it at the female student. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>But the ceramic bowl never hit her because Nicky had snatched it out of the air one handed like a sniper catching a spent bullet casing. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Everyone was frozen in the shocked silence. Then Nicky slowly walked over to the red faced chef and looked him straight in the eye. Copley just barely managed to make out what he said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“If you ever try to hurt anyone again, I will make sure that you won’t have that hand anymore.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Copley quickly grabbed Chef Muller before Nicky could carry out the threat. He was immediately fired.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Joe stared in amazement as Copley finished his story. “Wow. That’s incredible.”</p><p>Copley snorted and waved his hands in frustration. “If Nicky hadn’t been there it would have been a total disaster. The only reason we escaped litigation was it turns out Chef Muller had a medical condition that he had neglected to tell us. He had a brain tumor that was causing erratic and violent behavior.”</p><p>“Is this why there is that Google review about how the Academy is like the Hunger Games?” asked Joe.</p><p>The dean laughed. “Well I can’t fully deny that. The year that Nicky graduated, we had started with 200 students and by the end there was only 15. He was without a question the top of his class though.” He took a long sip from his coffee cup. “But more importantly, he is a good man. It's been 10 years since he graduated and he has made a stellar career. If you manage to land this internship, you will learn a lot from him.”</p><p>Joe got up and stretched his legs a bit. “Then I hope you put in a good word for me.”</p><p>“Oh I did. I also told them to abuse you to their heart’s content.”</p><p>That got a chuckle out of Joe. “See, this is why you can’t be a Gryffindor.”</p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p> </p><p>For the first time since that fateful day, Joe was standing in front of the place that had utterly changed his life. The golden sign was still the same. He had made it a point to not visit here until he had gotten through culinary school. He had even avoided Google stalking everything about the place. The final reward of learning about Ricordi had motivated him when the days got tough. Even though his years spent at the school was not as dramatic as Nicky’s time, it had still been incredibly hard.</p><p>His class of 200 had been whittled down to 35 by the end. Joe had thought his former job in finances had been hard. But that was because he had never been through the gauntlet like the Academy. It was an accelerated course so you didn’t have to spend four years learning. But that came with a price and he saw many drop out as the scale of difficulty went up.</p><p>But now he had finally made it this far and the excitement was making him giddy.</p><p>He walked around the building and looked for the employee entrance. He had been instructed to use the side door since the main doors wouldn’t be open until lunch service. He looked at his watch and saw that he was 15 minutes early to his appointment. Better early than late as they say.</p><p>Joe saw the door when he saw some of the employees smoking nearby. They waved at him in a friendly manner when he nodded his head in greeting. He went inside and was met by many bodies moving about. Everyone looked busy and focused on their task.</p><p>“Oh hey, are you the intern with the interview today?”</p><p>The female voice came from behind so Joe turned to see her. He was greeted by a warm smile and an eager handshake.</p><p>“My name is Nile. Are you Yusuf?”</p><p>He nodded. “Yes, that’s me. But everyone calls me Joe. It’s nice to meet you, Nile.” He shook her outstretched hand.</p><p>“You’re a bit early but I can get you a seat out on the floor." She started walking through the busy kitchen as Joe followed behind her. “Booker isn’t here yet so Nicky will be interviewing you.”</p><p>“Booker?” asked Joe.</p><p>“He’s our sous chef. And Nicky is our head chef. They were both classmates at the Academy like you.”</p><p>Joe was quite impressed. So two of the survivors from that hellish year were both here. That was going to set the bar pretty high but he was ready for it.</p><p>Nile showed him to one of the booths on the main floor. The wait staff were restocking all of their drawers and making sure everything was perfect for the lunch rush. Joe sat down and tried not to drum his hands on the table.</p><p>“He will be here shortly. You want something to drink?” asked Nile.</p><p>“No, but thank you. I’ll be fine.”</p><p>She smiled once again and gave him a light tap on his shoulder. “Don’t look so nervous. You’ll be fine. I remember my old intern days too and we all survived.”</p><p>Joe was grateful for her encouragement. He nodded and waved as she walked back toward the kitchen. That left him with a few minutes to collect himself.</p><p>He looked around the room and saw that not a lot had changed in two years. It was still plush and retained that comfortable feeling. Some of the glassware and napkins looked different but overall, it was exactly the way he remembered it.</p><p>It still amazed him that he was here. To think that just a few years ago, he was a miserable pile of self-pity that had cried over a plate of ravioli. But it hadn’t been just the food. What had undone him was the kindness of a stranger.</p><p>He detected motion in the corner of his eyes and turned. What he wasn’t expecting was to lose all the breath in his lungs from the vision that was coming towards him.</p><p>The man was tall and walked with a sure gait. His brown hair was long enough that he could tuck it behind his ear but a lone tendril fell over his forehead. Small silver hoops glinted in both ears. He had a small mole on his right cheek that was partially obscured by his short beard. It was a bit scruffy but for some reason, it looked perfect on him. Then Joe noticed the large tattoo on his left arm. An elaborate coat of arms. A shield.</p><p>The world froze in place for an instant.</p><p>Joe had spent many hours wondering about the mysterious chef who had lifted his spirits that dark and rainy day. Every time he was tired or worn down, he would take out the note and gently caress the edges with his fingertips. The umbrella was also tucked away with the note in a box for safekeeping.</p><p>But he didn’t have to imagine anymore. Because the real thing was right in front of him and his brain couldn’t process how someone could be this beautiful.</p><p>“Hello, my name is Nicky. It’s nice to meet you.”</p><p>He held out his right hand and Joe shot up from his seat to take it. As his fingers closed around Nicky’s palm, he felt all the calluses in that firm grip. This was a man who worked with his hands. For a split second, Joe wondered what those hands would feel like on him.</p><p>“Uh, it’s nice to meet you too. My name is Yusuf but I usually go by Joe.” He was pretty sure he wasn’t stuttering but he couldn’t trust his voice.</p><p>Nicky gestured toward the booth. “Joe it is then. Please take a seat. Would you like something to eat or drink?”</p><p>Joe wondered if everyone who worked at this restaurant was trained to constantly offer food and drinks. The level of hospitality was incredible and genuine.</p><p>“No, I'm all right. But thank you.” Joe sat there for a moment and then realized he had paused too long to stare at Nicky. He quickly reached into his bag and pulled out the paperwork. “I was told by Copley to give you this. It lists the requirements I have to meet during my training.”</p><p>Nicky reached over and took the papers from Joe. Then he proceeded to read the pages one by one. His right hand was tucked close to his chin and his index finger slowly traced his lips while he read the papers.</p><p>It was all Joe could do to not crush the table into splinters from how hard he was gripping it.</p><p>
  <em>Snap out of it, Joe! This is no time to be acting like a hormonal teenager!</em>
</p><p>He mentally berated himself to take deep slow breaths and calm down. Yes, he had been shocked to meet his benefactor this early in the process but he had hoped for it. Joe had spent many nights fantasizing what it would be like to actually meet his mystery chef so that he could thank him. He also had to admit some of those fantasies had wandered into more risqué scenarios…</p><p>“All right, I think we should be able to fulfill all of these criteria in the next four months.” Nicky set the papers on the table. “So let’s talk about you. Why did you decide to be a chef?”</p><p>
  <em>Because you made me the most delicious meal I had ever eaten in my entire life. Because your heart overflows with the kindness of which this world is not worthy of.</em>
</p><p>Joe had to clasp his hands together tightly so the words his heart wanted to say didn’t spill out from his mouth. “I decided to be a chef because I discovered a newfound love for food. I went through a time where I didn’t care what I was eating or how I was nourishing myself. Then once I found my love for it again, I wanted to share that love with others.”</p><p>Nicky’s face shone with a dazzling smile. “That’s wonderful. I’m so glad to hear that you rediscovered that kind of joy.”</p><p>A different type of joy was spreading through Joe at lightning speed. Being the receiver of such a smile was more than he could take. He had to mentally shake himself again to respond.</p><p>“Yes, it’s been great. So after I decided this was what I wanted to do, I enrolled at the Culinary Academy.”</p><p>“What possessed you to do that?” asked Nicky. He grinned and pointed toward the papers. “Surely you must have heard rumors about that school.”</p><p>“Yes, I did read about that. But once I saw the list of people who successfully graduated and went off to do great things, I knew I wanted to be one of them.” Joe pointed toward Nicky. “Like you.”</p><p>To his surprise, Nicky blushed a slight shade of pink. “I am definitely not one of them. I credit all my success to the wonderful people who have supported me and worked with me.”</p><p>Joe was humbled by Nicky’s modesty. But he knew better. He knew Nicky was definitely a great chef. “I must admit that the school was not a walk in the park but I really enjoyed my time there. Copley runs a pretty tight ship.”</p><p>“Does Copley still greet the students on the first day?” Nicky leaned in closer. “Does he still make The Speech?”</p><p>“You mean…the thing about how being a chef is really hard?”</p><p>Nicky's face turned serious as he channeled his Inner Copley. “Welcome to the Culinary Academy. This is the start of a brand new chapter in your life. And because I don’t believe in sugar coating the truth, I regret to inform you that you have chosen a difficult path. If you want to be successful in your new career, you will most likely be-" Nicky held up one finger. "A workaholic."</p><p>Joe was grinning from ear to ear. He held up two fingers. "An alcoholic."</p><p>Nicky held up three fingers. "Divorced."</p><p>They both held up four fingers and said in unison. "Or all three."</p><p>There was a second of silence before both men burst out laughing. Any nervousness that Joe had felt evaporated in an instant. This was their first real meeting and yet it felt like they had known each other for years.</p><p>"I don't know what's worse," said Joe as he wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. "The fact that Copley makes that speech every year or your poor attempt at an English accent."</p><p>"It's my fatal flaw. This is why I can't achieve perfection." Nicky sighed dramatically.</p><p>"Oh, I don't know about that. You look pretty close to perfection to me."</p><p>
  <em>Holy shit. Did I just say that out loud? </em>
</p><p>Nicky ducked his head down for a moment but Joe could see the telltale red flush along his neck. The compliment had obviously been well received and Joe's heart was singing.</p><p>"So I noticed on your resume that you don't have any previous work experience at a restaurant." Nicky was still looking a little shy but he was attempting to steer the conversation back to the interview. "Do you have any concerns about being able to keep up?"</p><p>"This might sound arrogant but I'm confident that I can learn quickly. I know working a real shift is going to be different from school but I promise you that I will work my ass off." Joe looked into Nicky's eyes and tried to show his sincerity. "I promise you that you won't regret bringing me into the team."</p><p>There was a small but very pleased smile on Nicky’s face. "Okay. Then let's start next Monday."</p><p>Joe was stunned. "Wow. That was kind of easy. I thought you would interrogate me more."</p><p>"In most circumstances I would have but this is different. You are just starting out so my expectations are set accordingly." Nicky started gathering up the papers on the table. "Besides, this was more of a formality. I trust Copley. I knew that he would send us a great candidate. I just wanted to meet you to see if you could get along with everyone."</p><p>"And you think I can?"</p><p>Joe was suddenly being scrutinized by a pair of very intense eyes. Nicky was looking at him as though he could see right through him. Joe sincerely hoped Nicky wasn't a mind reader because it would be awkward to explain how being at the receiving end of those green eyes made his head spin.</p><p>"Yes, I think you'll fit right in." Nicky’s eyes turned gentler. "I can see that this is a new start for you. If no one gave you a chance, how can you begin your journey? Everyone deserves to seek out their potential and especially so for second chances."</p><p>Joe's heart clenched so tightly in his chest that he thought he would pass out. Did this man have an infinite supply of kindness? How could he so easily say the words that Joe had been longing to hear? He thought once again to the note and the umbrella tucked safely by his bedside drawer. Any daydreams he had harbored for Nicky paled in comparison to the real thing.</p><p>
  <em>He's all and he's more.</em>
</p><p>There was a heavy silence that fell between them. Not the kind that smothered but a comforting blanket that wrapped you in its warmth. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity until a clattering of dishes broke the moment.</p><p>Joe coughed and rubbed his sweaty hands down his legs. "I'm sorry. I'm probably taking up too much of your time."</p><p>"Not at all. I appreciate you coming down to see me." Nicky got up and extended his right hand. "I look forward to us working together."</p><p>He took Nicky's hand and gave a firm handshake. Then he reluctantly let go as their fingertips trailed and lingered along the palm. He never wanted to let go of that hand.</p><p>"I'll see you next Monday at 8 am. Bring your knives but I can provide the rest."</p><p>Joe nodded his head in understanding. "Thank you so much. I'm excited to get started."</p><p>Nicky waved a goodbye and made his way back to the kitchen. Joe gathered up his belongings and walked towards the main entrance. The hostess opened the door for him and then he was outside in the cool air.</p><p>Joe took a moment to gather his emotions but it was impossible to stay calm. The last two years of back breaking hard work had paid off in ways he had never imagined. The euphoria he felt was something he had never felt back in his old life.</p><p>He lifted both arms into the sky in joy and then ran down the street like a small child who had been given his most favorite treat.</p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p> </p><p>"So what was that about?"</p><p>Nicky turned to see Nile giving him a knowing look as he was organizing his menu notes for the day. "What was what?"</p><p>"Don't you play all innocent with me." She crossed her arms and grinned like a shark scenting blood in the water. "I've seen you interview people before and that was not an interview. You two were acting like teenagers out on a first date."</p><p>He looked down and hoped the fall of his hair hid some of the blush that was creeping up his cheeks. "That's ridiculous. Joe is just really easy to talk to."</p><p>Nile was looking at him like he was a child caught with his hands in the cookie jar. "You guys were literally finishing each other's sentences. Trust me, I was watching. Or were you so lost in his eyes that you didn't notice the peanut gallery that was snooping in on your meeting?"</p><p>Actually Nicky had noticed something was off. There had been a suspiciously large amount of people gathered around the open kitchen. Some of the wait staff started wiping down counters that were already spotless and the line cooks had scurried off in a hurry when he approached them.</p><p>"Am I not giving you all enough work that you felt the need to watch a job interview?" He shook his head incredulously.</p><p>"Are you kidding me? The moment the crew found out we were about to get fresh meat, everyone was freaking out. Then he shows up looking like he came from a photoshoot and you expect us not to be nosy?" Nile laughed while clutching her stomach. "Oh my Lord the girls were so pissed that I got to talk to him first! They are giving me so much shit!"</p><p>Nicky looked a bit bewildered. "A photoshoot?"</p><p>She tapped the back of his head like he was being purposely obtuse. "Don't be stupid. I know your eyes are working just fine. There's already a betting pool started on who's going to snag him first."</p><p>"You guys really need a life."</p><p>"That's pretty ironic coming from you. Not everyone has the priestly restraint you do."</p><p>Nicky squirmed a bit under Nile's assessment. "I don't have the time for a relationship. I'm busy babysitting you lot."</p><p>Nile rolled her eyes at this old worn excuse. "Suit yourself. But don't cry me a river when you get lonely, ok?" With that, she left to go finish her prep.</p><p>He stared at his notes but he wasn't really seeing them. Nile wasn't wrong about Joe. He had been incredibly charming and even more handsome than his resume picture. It had taken all his willpower to act like he was unaffected but he didn’t think it had worked.</p><p>Their conversation had flowed so naturally that Nicky was sad to see it come to an end. When they shook hands, he noticed how warm Joe's hand had been. He remembered how he didn't want to let go. He also remembered wishing he could feel that hand on other places.</p><p>Nicky groaned and gave up trying to read anything. He had a feeling that Joe was going to be on his mind a lot until Monday.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A few notes that might be of interest:</p><p>- Nicky is 30 years old and Joe is 33 years old. I wanted to copy the age at their first death in the movie.<br/>- I wanted to have a "Y" in all of the names of Joe's family, Myriam, Yasmine, and Yusuf.<br/>- I am totally channeling Zoom Interview Luca Marinelli in how I envision Nicky in this fic. <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&amp;v=llPHZlEDZz0">Watch this to bask in the beauty of Nicky if he had longer hair/beard/earrings.</a><br/>- I was asked which version of Marwan Kenzari I am thinking of for this fic.  <a href="https://kiaya.tumblr.com/post/626434922775724032/plrks-booker-nicky-1945-andy-joe-1956">It would definitely be this look.</a> Thank you for blessing our eyes, sir. </p><p>You can find me at <a href="https://kiaya.tumblr.com/">my Tumblr page</a>. Let me know if you have any questions!</p><p>Thank you for all the awesome feedback!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Best Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Booker was stuck in traffic. </p><p>He slammed his head against the steering wheel in frustration and immediately regretted it as sharp stabs of pain pierced his hungover brain. </p><p>He was currently going nowhere due to an accident up ahead. He had texted Andy that he would be late and miss the lunch service but at this rate he was in danger of missing the dinner as well. He had gotten a text from Nicky that he wanted to talk when Booker got there. </p><p>He wasn't looking forward to that and for probably the thousandth time, Booker wondered how he had gotten in this predicament of being worried over by Nicky. Booker was supposed to be the older brother figure but more often than not, it was Nicky who helped clean up his mess. </p><p>Booker still remembered the first time he met Nicky. It was the start of term at the Academy and he was assigned a seat beside him. He couldn't believe someone that young and baby-faced was there. </p><p>He had started calling Nicky an affectionate nickname of "Kiddo." He was easily the youngest of the class and everyone doted on him like a little brother. Nicky took it in stride but you could tell he wanted to be taken seriously. Nicky got his wish in the worst kind of way.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>CRASH!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Booker spun around when he heard the sound of a plate breaking. He saw Chef Muller standing in front of Abigail as his face contorted in rage.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Did I give you permission to change my recipe?! Who do you think you are, little girl?!" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Abigail recoiled away from the snarling man. "I'm sorry chef. I just thought it might be interesting with an addition of-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"YOU DO NOT CHANGE MY RECIPE! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Another plate came crashing down to the floor. The class started moving away from the enraged man as he continued to smash more plates off the table.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Booker. Go get Copley."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Booker looked at Nicky in panic. "What? But what about-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nicky turned to him and his eyes had changed into a cold flinty gray. "Go get Copley. Now." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>There was no room for disobedience in his tone. Booker turned and ran toward the double doors as fast as he could. People were staring as he careened down the hallway, bumping into shoulders and elbows. He had almost reached the elevators when he saw the doors start to close. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hold it!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But the doors closed just a second too quick. Booker slammed his fists in frustration at the metal. Then he ran for the stairs that would take him up to the 4th floor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>When he finally got to the dean's office, he didn't bother with any niceties and slammed it open. Copley almost dropped his coffee mug in surprise. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You have to come to the banquet class right away! Chef Muller is going crazy!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The two men had rushed back downstairs and as long as Booker lived, he would never forget how Nicky looked confronting that mad man. How cold and composed he was. How he grabbed that flying ramekin as though it was a casual game of baseball. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>After Copley dragged Chef Muller away, everyone rushed over to Abigail who was sobbing in Nicky's arms. His cold demeanor was gone and replaced with soothing words. Booker was still in shock and stared at the young man who was six years his junior and had thought of like a little brother.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Booker stopped calling him Kiddo after that day.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>HONK!!</p><p>Booker snapped away from his reverie and realized the traffic was finally starting to move. He pressed the gas and hoped he would make it in time. </p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p> </p><p>Somehow, luck was on his side and Booker managed to find a spot in the underground parking lot. Pretty soon all the spots would be taken as people got out of work and spilled into downtown to find good food and drinks to wash the workday away. </p><p>He made it with two hours to spare before dinner service. But before he got much further than the employee door, he got cornered by Nile.</p><p>"Look who decided to show up. Did our delicate flower have trouble waking up this morning?" </p><p>Booker frowned at her as she stood there with her arms crossed and smirking. "Fuck you, Nile."</p><p>Nile burst out laughing and slung her arm around his shoulder. "Get over it, old man. You know I missed your sour face." Then she wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "I'm just sad you weren't here this morning for all the fun."</p><p>He looked at her dubiously. "Fun?"</p><p>Nile proceeded to get him all caught up on the morning drama. It seems it was all anybody could talk about.</p><p>"I swear, it was so damn adorable! I've never seen Nicky act so flirty in my life!" She sighed. "Maybe he'll bend his rule a bit."</p><p>Booker scoffed in disbelief. "Yeah right. Nicky is in a relationship with his work. I doubt that will change easily."</p><p>She shrugged. "Always a first time."</p><p>“Uh huh,” said Booker. “I gotta go talk to Nicky. I’ll see you in a bit.”</p><p>Nile cringed a bit in solidarity. “Good luck!”</p><p>He waved her off and made his way toward the stairs. Both Andy and Nicky had their own offices upstairs and he was hoping he could at least avoid Andy. He knew she would be pissed at how late he was. He treaded as silently as he could past her door and then knocked softly on Nicky’s.</p><p>“Come in.”</p><p>Booker heard the muffled response to his knock and let himself in. He saw Nicky by his desk with a notebook in front of him. He was scribbling something with a furrow between his eyebrows as though displeased with what he was producing. When he looked up and saw Booker, he closed the notebook and put it away into a drawer. Then he locked it.</p><p>The older man immediately knew what the notebook was. It wasn’t a secret that Nicky had been working on a cookbook for over a year. But whatever he was working on, he was refusing to show it to anybody. As far as Booker knew, no one has even taste tested anything from it. When he had offered Nicky to help him with his book, he had been gently but firmly declined.</p><p>
  <em>Well it’s not my business. Everyone has secrets they want to keep.</em>
</p><p>He sat in the seat across from Nicky and brought his two hands in a show of apology. “I’m really sorry, Nicky. I know I messed up. Thanks for covering my shift for me.”</p><p>Nicky sighed and took a sip of water. The last remnants of his lunch was on the corner of his desk. It had cooled by now but Nicky hated waste so he picked up his fork and proceeded to finish it. “So what happened?” Nicky looked up between a mouthful. “And are you feeling okay enough to work?”</p><p>Rubbing his temples, Booker grimaced in discomfort. “Honestly, I’m still a little hung over but I should be fine. Not the first time.” <em>Or the last…</em></p><p>“You still haven’t answered my question. What happened?”</p><p>Booker frowned and looked into his hands. “I had a fight with Emily. It was supposed to be my weekend to see Bella and she bailed on me. Said something about a school event they had to go to.”</p><p>“Then why don’t you go too?” asked Nicky.</p><p>“Because I wasn’t invited.”</p><p>Nicky was unhappy with this news. He had known Emily almost as long as he had known Booker. He had been the best man at their wedding and watching his best friend and his wife slowly tear each other apart had been one of the most painful things he had to witness in his life.</p><p>“Any particular reason?”</p><p>Booker’s frown got even darker when he started thinking about the fight.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“You said that I could see her this weekend. I already made plans.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>On the other end of the phone line, he could hear Emily’s noise of frustration. “I know, Booker. I’m sorry but I was told of this last minute. You know how important this is to Bella. They changed the venue last minute and it effected the date too. She can’t miss this or she won’t make the team.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s fucking basketball! It’s not a big deal!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s a big deal to her, Booker! She loves playing and she wants to be on the team with her friends! Can’t you understand that?!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He almost crushed his phone in anger. “Then why the hell are you not inviting me to the game?!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Emily’s voice was as angry as his. “Don’t you remember the last game we invited you to? You showed up drunk! It was humiliating and I refuse to put our daughter through anymore of your bullshit.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t falsely accuse me!” yelled Booker.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I don’t have to! I could smell the fucking whiskey on your breath a mile away! Maybe if you could act more responsibly like an adult, I could invite you!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He laughed bitterly and waved his hands about in anger. “Oh, like you would know what a responsible adult would be if you saw one?!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yeah, I know plenty. Maybe you should take a page out of Nicky’s book and then I could stop being embarrassed that I married you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Booker threw his phone across the room and watched it bounce off the couch. Then he had proceeded to drown himself in more whiskey.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Booker?”</p><p>He bolted up and looked at Nicky. The younger man’s face was creased with worry and concern. It was the last thing he wanted to see right now.</p><p>“It’s no big deal. I’d probably just embarrass Bella anyways if I showed up.”</p><p>Nicky got up from his chair and came around to Booker. He got down to his knees so he could look into Booker’s eyes. “You know that’s not true. She loves you and she knows you love her.”</p><p>When Booker didn’t respond back, he tentatively asked, “Do you want me to talk to Emily?”</p><p>That got a laugh out of the Frenchman. “No, thanks. I’d rather you didn’t.”</p><p>“Okay. But let me know if there is anything I can do.” He tried to give Booker a hug and the older man snorted and batted his arms away. “I’m not your boyfriend who needs a hug! Why don’t you go snag the rookie that’s starting on Monday.”</p><p>Nicky froze and felt his face redden. “What did Nile tell you about Joe?”</p><p>Booker finally relaxed into the chair and genuinely smiled. “So that’s his name, Joe? I barely got into the building before Nile had to fill me in on all the gossip. I heard you were making puppy eyes at him.” He fluttered his eyes at Nicky dramatically. “Was he so dreamy?”</p><p>“I know this is your thinly veiled attempt to change the subject and I am not here for it.”</p><p>“Oh, come on, Nicky,” said Booker. “Take pity on me and let me harass you instead. Do we need to have a talk about safe sex practices? Cause it’s been a while right?”</p><p>“I fucking hate you all.”</p><p>Big bouts of laughter came bubbling out of Booker’s chest and for a moment it helped him forget the bitterness he felt at Emily’s words. His feelings toward Nicky had become much more complicated over the years but deep down, he knew he loved Nicky like a brother.</p><p>“So what do you want me to start training him on?” asked Booker.</p><p>“Actually, we’re going to change it up and have Nile start the training.” Nicky reached over to his printer and retrieved a piece of paper. “Here is the first month schedule that I’m assigning.”</p><p>Booker took the paper and looked at the marked dates. “Are you kidding me? You’re going to start the rookie with Nile?” He grinned wolfishly. “You are one sadistic son of a bitch.”</p><p>“I think he’ll be able to handle it. Copley said he was a really fast learner.” Nicky pointed to the hours marked in black. “Besides, I’m giving him some breaks so he can learn some of the more intricate mise en place with you. Can’t have Nile break him on the first week.”</p><p>“50 bucks that Nile is gonna have him black and blue on the first day.” He reached into his pocket and fished out some bills. “You in?”</p><p>“Why do you keep making terrible bets with me?”</p><p>Booker laughed out loud. “Because you suck at making bets. Now pony up!”</p><p>Nicky sighed, took out some cash and slapped it on the desk.</p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p> </p><p>Joe was almost to his destination when he felt his phone vibrate.</p><p>
  <em>I’m already here and I grabbed us a table. Are you close?</em>
</p><p>He smiled and texted back. <em>Almost there. Give me 5 minutes.</em></p><p>As predicated, in about 5 minutes, Joe had arrived at the bar they had agreed on. He opened the heavy door and looked around. Then he spotted Quynh waving at him from a corner booth. He smiled and made his way over to his friend.</p><p>She got up and gave Joe a quick hug. “It’s good to see you. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.”</p><p>“You don’t have to apologize to me. We’ve both been busy.” Joe settled in his seat and got comfortable. “How was your internship interview?”</p><p>“It went really well. Chef Noriko said that I can start next week.” Quynh smiled with a catlike satisfaction. “Did you ever have a doubt?”</p><p>Joe clutched his hands to his chest in a show of worship. “Of course not. Who could ever say no to you?”</p><p>“You think you’re real funny don’t you, al-Kaysani?” She slapped his arm in pretend anger. “But seriously though, this is a big deal. There are almost no female sushi chefs! She’s like a white whale! I’m totally going to convince her to take me on as an apprentice even after the internship.”</p><p>“Hey you won’t get any crap from me. I know this is a big deal and I know you’re going to kick ass.” Joe smiled. “I would never want to be on your bad side.”</p><p>Quynh arched her eyebrow at him. “You make me sound like I’m some kind of terror.”</p><p>He waved his index finger at her in disbelief. “Am I the only one who remembers butchery class?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Joe had never been so cold in his life. When he was told that the butchery class took place inside a refrigerated room, he hadn’t fully believed it. But now he was inside, trying to dismember a large slab of venison with fingers that could barely tell what he was doing. It would not surprise him if he ended up chopping his thumb off.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Loud hollers and hooting drew his attention to another table across the room. Chef Wagner was showing some of the class how to make sausages with animal casings. He saw Quynh standing there with a few of the male classmates who seemed to be laughing about something. Joe made his way over to see what was going on.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Once he got to the table, he immediately realized why the catcalls were happening. Chef Wagner was cranking the old school meat grinder as Quynh was moving the sausage casings into spirals. The male students were making lewd faces and even worse comments.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hey Quynh baby, you can play with my sausage later if you want. You seem like you really know what you’re doing.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Both Joe and Chef Wagner frowned darkly at this crude joke. But before either of them could speak up, Quynh picked up her ten inch chef knife and brought it down with a thud onto the sausage link. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then she picked up the piece that she had cut off and crushed it between her fingers.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All the men stared in horror as she twisted the casing and watched it burst out chunks of red meat. Then she dropped the whole mess back on to the table and stabbed it again with her knife.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Is this how you would like me to play with your sausage?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The only sound that was heard after was Joe laughing uncontrollably while bent over the table. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Joe was bent over the bar table now and laughing again at the memory. “I mean, I wasn’t even one of the assholes harassing you and I felt my own genitals clench in terror!”</p><p>Quynh pouted and inspected her nails like an offended feline. “Those bastards deserved worse. They’re lucky I was feeling generous that day.”</p><p>He finally sat up straight and looked at her with admiration. Even though they were laughing about it now, the fact that she even had to go through that was infuriating. Joe learned quickly that even though many people thought of cooking as “Women’s Work”, the reality in the professional world was different. Many chefs were still primarily men. Not to mention owners, food critics, and other movers and shakers of the food world. Even though there have been big strides over the years, the percentage of female chefs in the higher tier of cooking was still too small. His own graduating class of 35 had only four female chefs.</p><p>But that was one of the reasons why Joe had so much respect for Quynh. She could cook anyone under the table, male or female, and she was a pit viper in a fight. He had seen her go toe to toe with a man twice her size when he had tried to steal her prep while she was away from her station. They didn’t fight physically but that was unnecessary. She had beat him down with the sheer force of her personality and intellect.</p><p>“Okay, enough about me. So what happened to your interview?” She pierced him with her gaze. “I want to know everything. Did you find your mystery chef?”</p><p>Joe looked a bit shy at the question. “Um yeah…about that…yeah I did.”</p><p>Her arms shot up in the air and she shouted out a cheer. The other bar patrons stared at them as Joe tried to shush her into silence. “Shhhh not so loud!”</p><p>She laughed even louder and slapped the table in excitement. It was a bit embarrassing but Joe couldn’t really blame her because he was excited too. There were very few people that Joe had told the whole sordid story about his past life. But some genius had decided to schedule wine tasting class at 10 am on a day that Joe had forgotten to eat breakfast. He had gotten totally drunk by lunch and had spilled the whole sad story to Quynh. He had also made her promise not to snoop online because he didn’t want to know anything until he got to Ricordi himself.</p><p>“So who was he? Don’t kill me with the suspense!” She shook his arm frantically.</p><p>“Okay okay! The mystery chef turned out to the head chef. His name is Nicky and um...”</p><p>Joe tried to think of the right words to describe Nicky. But his head was so full of words and phrases that ricocheted around in a lovesick loop. “He’s just…amazing. More than amazing. He is more than I could have ever imagined.”</p><p>Quynh got her phone and opened her browser. “That’s not enough information for me, Romeo. What’s his name so I can finally Google stalk him.”</p><p>It suddenly struck Joe that he didn’t know Nicky’s full name. He reached into his bag and pulled out the paperwork that Copley had put together for him. As he scanned the pages, he found the section titled “Location of Internship” and found the words “Head Chef: Nicolo di Genova.”</p><p>“I think his full name is Nicolo di Genova.” Joe rolled the name around on his tongue. “Nicolo. Nicolo. Holy shit, even his name is perfect.”</p><p>Quynh made a puking motion and started searching on her phone. After a few minutes, her beautiful face was marred with a frown. “Joe, I can’t find anything on this guy. The restaurant website has a blurb about him but no pictures. Damnit, I want pictures!”</p><p>She kept looking but incredibly, there was almost nothing. “This guy is like a ghost! No social media and some interviews but with no pictures. Although the list of his awards and reviews is really impressive.” Quynh whistled when she saw just how many. “This is seriously impressive. I can’t believe he is only 30 years old.”</p><p>Joe was also looking at his phone. “Not even an old Facebook account?”</p><p>Suddenly, Quynh waved excitedly. “I think I found something!” She turned the phone over to face Joe. There was a picture of a man accepting an award for some culinary milestone. “Is that him?!”</p><p>He looked at the small screen and nodded his head in confirmation. It looked like it was taken a few years ago but it was definitely Nicky. There was no way he could mistake that beautiful face for anyone else.</p><p>“Oh my freaking God, are you kidding me? He is so hot!” Quynh looked at Joe with a beaming smile. “You lucky bastard.”</p><p>He shook his head in embarrassment because he knew his whole face was shining with delight. Joe knew that when it came to Nicky, his face was like a book. “We only just met. The meeting went really well but I have no idea what to expect. It’s just a stupid one-sided crush on my part.”</p><p>She waved her phone at Joe in impatience. “Joe, do you see this?” Quynh pointed at the list of awards and recognition that Nicky had already achieved. “This is not a man who just half assed his way through his career. This means he is already #1 on Copley’s List of Culinarian Sins and is working all the time. You will not be able to get through to him with that weak sauce attitude.”</p><p>Joe was suddenly transported to his conversation with Nicky about Copley’s Speech and started laughing. Quynh looked at him like he had just gone insane and he had to wave his hands in denial. “Nicky knows about Copley’s list too. He tried this really awful English accent to recite the Speech to me and I almost died laughing.”</p><p>She put her chin on both her hands and leaned forward. “I see you two were already chumming it up huh? Well, this is good. Now you need to be more aggressive.”</p><p>He had an image in his mind of what Quynh would consider aggressive and decided it was not workplace safe. “Quynh. I just met the guy. I don’t want to scare him off.”</p><p>“Coward,” accused Quynh. “You just spent two years fantasizing about this guy while jerking off and you’re barely going to try?”</p><p>Joe really had to talk to somebody at the Academy about scheduling wine tasting at 10 am. He had never regretted being drunk so much in his life after he had told her <em>literally</em> everything. He knew that she wasn’t wrong. Nicky had not rejected his weak attempts at flirting. If anything, he looked like he enjoyed it. But Nicky did seem a little shy at times and Joe knew that he wouldn’t get anywhere just pining after him.</p><p>But whenever Joe thought about being in another relationship, he started to doubt himself. His last experience had failed so miserably that his confidence was shot. During the two years he was studying, he had hooked up with various people but none of it had been serious. So now the prospect of pursuing somebody with earnest made him nervous and unsure.</p><p>“You’re brooding again. I can see the gears clicking in your head and you need to knock it off.” She took the menu off the table and started reading down the drink list. “I know your last boyfriend didn’t work out but you are not the same guy. You should be kinder to yourself and try again.”</p><p>He sighed and leaned back into the backrest. “But what if it goes nowhere? What if he doesn’t like me? Or maybe he isn’t into men?” Joe remembered how Nicky blushed and looked at him through his thick eyelashes. “Okay, maybe he’s into men.”</p><p>Quynh grabbed his hand that had been resting on the table. She gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You will never know until you try.” Then she squeezed really tight. “Now go be aggressive and seduce his brains out!”</p><p>Joe laughed. “Yes, mistress.”</p><p>She started looking around in annoyance. “And why have no one asked us if we need anything yet? I want a drink!”</p><p>“I’m sorry but I didn’t want to interrupt.”</p><p>They both turned and saw the waitress hanging back a bit away from the booth. She smiled sheepishly. “You guys seemed really into your conversation so I felt I shouldn’t butt in.” Then she tipped her head inquisitively to the side. “But uh…can I look at the picture of the hot chef too?”</p><p>Quynh smiled like a queen welcoming her subject. “Oh honey, you know you don’t even need to ask.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I want to get to Monday 8 am too but I really wanted to flesh out Nicky and Joe's relationship with their best friends. Trust me, this will matter in the long run. I love the idea of BAMF Quynh being the queen that she is. Tough women in kitchens are such a gem.</p><p>You can find me at <a href="https://kiaya.tumblr.com/">my Tumblr page</a>. Let me know if you have any questions!</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Don't Dodge The Spoon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Monday couldn’t arrive fast enough for Joe.</p><p>He had considered taking his car to the restaurant but changed his mind when he thought about downtown traffic and parking. It was more convenient to take the subway so he hopped to the nearest station and was on his way. The bag with his knives and chef uniform were tucked safely by his side as he swayed back and forth along with the motion of the train. Sometimes it was nice to let someone else do the driving. That also meant it gave him a lot of time to think.</p><p>Nicky. Nicolo di Genova.</p><p>Joe couldn’t stop the smile that came unbidden to his face. When it came to the head chef, he really had no defense. This was kind of new for Joe. He didn’t want to sound arrogant but the truth was, he had very rarely pursued anyone because he was usually the one being chased.</p><p>Whether it was during college or as a professional, Joe had never lacked for willing partners. Perhaps that had fed into why his past relationships didn’t last long. How could you cherish something when you didn’t even know the value in the first place?</p><p>Marcus had been the sole exception. They had met through mutual friends and had been together for over a year. It was Joe’s longest relationship so far and the only boyfriend that had moved in with him. Until he had walked into his empty condo, Joe would have said they had been through difficult times but was doing all right.</p><p>
  <em>Did you even love me?</em>
</p><p>Joe grimaced when he thought about the last message left by Marcus. The fact that Joe had been so oblivious to the pain he caused was a regret he would never fully recover from. He had tried to contact him to apologize but Marcus had changed all of his information. It was obvious he wanted nothing to do with Joe anymore.</p><p>Quynh’s words came floating into his mind again. The idea of a second chance at love was exhilarating but also terrifying. He had moments of doubt but when he thought about how it felt so natural to be with Nicky, he wanted to hope. It would also be different this time. Joe was not the same person he was when he took his relationships for granted. If Nicky was interested, then Joe wanted to make sure he conveyed his feelings properly.</p><p>
  <em>But how do I do that when he barely knows me while I’ve been thinking about him for the last two years…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>*******************</p><p> </p><p>He saw the employee door once again surrounded by smoking employees. This time they greeted Joe with more enthusiasm. Joe didn’t know anyone’s names yet but he was hoping to rectify that soon.</p><p>Once inside, he was met with the same high energy that he saw last time. It was early morning and everyone was getting ready for the lunch rush. There was a lot of prep work involved and he loved seeing the organized chaos that hummed around him. Compared to his old life of offices and cubicles, he felt so much more alive. The adrenaline that kicks in when the chef starts shouting out orders. The way that everyone moves as one well-oiled machine in response to those orders. It was a high he couldn’t get enough of.</p><p>Joe had a gotten an email that had instructed him to go see Andy, the General Manager. She had some paperwork he needed to sign before getting started. So he climbed the steps and was surprised to see her office door already open. He stepped slightly inside and knocked on the door to catch her attention.</p><p>“Hello, my name is Joe. I was told to come see Andy?”</p><p>Andy looked up from her computer screen and smiled when she saw him. She got up and offered her hand in greeting. “Hi, Joe. That would be me.” She gestured to the chair in front of her desk. “Take a seat.”</p><p>He sat down and watched as Andy went to a filing cabinet and pulled out some papers. She set it in front of him along with a pen.</p><p>“Sorry I couldn’t send this to you ahead of time. Nicky keeps harassing me to go digital on everything but I’m too old and stubborn.”</p><p>Joe looked at Andy in surprise. She was wearing a black jacket that blended business formal with military style tailoring. Her shirt was a creamy shade of purple and her short hair highlighted her sharp features. She was beautiful in a timeless way that belonged on a Greek statue.</p><p>“I don’t know how old you are Andy but you don’t look old to me.”</p><p>Andy laughed and pulled a hand through her hair. “Flattery will not work with me, Joe. But good try.”</p><p>He chuckled and looked at the papers he needed to sign. It was the usual basic forms when you have any workers, whether permanent or temporary. Employee conduct, safety issues, emergency contacts, and all that good stuff. Once he was done reading and signed, he handed it back to Andy.</p><p>“Thanks a lot,” said Andy.</p><p>“It’s not a problem. Is there anything else I can do for you?”</p><p>Andy set the papers aside. “Not at this moment. But I just wanted to let you know if there is any concerns or questions, my office door is always open. Literally and metaphorically.” She waved down towards the main floor. “I know this is your first time working at a real restaurant so there will be days when it’s hard. I used to work as a waitress when I was getting my MBA. People don’t realize how hard this industry can be until it spits you out.”</p><p>Joe was really touched with her concern. “Thank you so much. I know I’m still new to this but I’m really looking forward to it.”</p><p>She smiled and nodded in understanding. “Just remember, we’re a family here. You’re one of us now.”</p><p>That statement momentarily stunned Joe. He had seen camaraderie before but the welcome he was receiving was incredibly moving. He was stumbling to say something witty back when he heard a knock behind him.</p><p>“Sorry for the interruption. Would it be all right if I stole Joe for a bit?”</p><p>Joe’s head swiveled so fast he was surprised he didn’t give himself whiplash. Suddenly the world shrunk to one spot and there was Nicky standing in the middle of it. Joe wondered if his brain had glitched from seeing his dream chef again.</p><p>“Not a problem. We’re all done here. Joe, how about you go with Nicky and he can explain how your training will go,” said Andy.</p><p>Joe got up from his seat and nodded a thank you to her. He followed Nicky as he was led down toward the other office. Once inside, Nicky closed the door and beckoned him to sit down.</p><p>The air in the room suddenly felt suffocating. Nicky started fiddling with a pen and he couldn’t seem to quite figure out how to start this conversation. Compared to their first meeting, this one was off to a slower start perhaps in a silent acknowledgement that they were hyper aware of each other.</p><p>
  <em>Is he as nervous as I am?</em>
</p><p>So Joe said the first thing that came into his mind. “How do you make your ravioli?”</p><p>Nicky stopped twirling his pen and looked surprised at Joe. “Ravioli?”</p><p>“Yeah, do you make it yourself?”</p><p>As the question was food oriented, Nicky seemed to relax and fall into a familiar speech pattern. “Yes, we make everything from scratch here. The pasta, the sauces, the garnish, everything. Of course I have some secret ingredients to help with that.”</p><p>Joe smiled a little mischievously. “Is the secret ingredient love?”</p><p>Nicky’s eyes lit up and he laughed out loud. “Yes! I do put a lot of love into my food.”</p><p>
  <em>Only to your food?</em>
</p><p>Joe shook himself from his thoughts. “So is that what you’re going to teach me while I’m here? How to put my love into my food?”</p><p>“I suppose that is one way to think of it.” Nicky took out the Ricordi menu and set it before him. Joe immediately recognized the black cover with the embossed gold letters. “I think of this as a way I can communicate with our guests. It’s my hope that there is something here that will leave them happy and satisfied. A wonderful memory to cherish.”</p><p>Joe traced the gold letters, like he did on that rainy day. “Is that why your restaurant is called Ricordi? Memories?”</p><p>Nicky looked surprised. “Do you speak Italian?”</p><p>“No, but I can Google Translate really well,” said Joe.</p><p>That got another laugh out of Nicky. This was quickly becoming addictive to Joe. He kept thinking how he can make Nicky laugh again so he could hear that wonderful sound.</p><p>“To answer your question, yes, the restaurant is called Ricordi for that reason. But it’s also for my grandmother. My first memory of cooking was with her and it’s in her honor that I named it.”</p><p>“Wow,” exclaimed Joe. “That’s so sweet of you. I bet your grandmother loves that.”</p><p>A sad smile graced Nicky’s face. “Unfortunately, she passed before she could see it.”</p><p>Joe’s heart clenched in pain. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”</p><p>Nicky waved his hands in a soothing gesture. “No, there was no way you could have known. It’s been many years and I’m really fine.” He looked a little apologetically at Joe. “I’m sorry, I meant to talk to you about your job and here I am boring you with my life story.”</p><p>“But I want to know everything about you,” replied Joe.</p><p>
  <em>Crap. I just said that out loud, didn’t I?</em>
</p><p>Joe didn’t know what was wrong with him. He was usually a lot better at conversing in an intelligent manner and he didn’t want to scare Nicky off by being too forward.</p><p>But then he remembered Quynh’s words about being more obvious because otherwise he would never get through a workaholic like Nicky. As he watched a light blush start creeping up Nicky’s neck, Joe decided to throw caution to the wind.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck it. Go big or go home.</em>
</p><p>Nicky looked down and played with his pen again. “I’m not that interesting, I assure you.”</p><p>Joe’s voice was low and deliberate. “Maybe you should let me be the judge of that because I find you very interesting.”</p><p>Nicky dropped the pen when his fingers abruptly stopped moving. He looked back up at Joe and for a moment his eyes flashed into a color that was indescribable. Joe met that stare and wondered how he must look to Nicky right now.</p><p>They held the gaze until the loud intrusive ring of a phone broke the silence.</p><p>Nicky picked up the office phone and had to take a moment before he answered. “Hello?”</p><p>He watched as Nicky nodded and answered various questions. Joe could feel his heart beating so loud he wondered if Nicky could hear it. But there was no room for hesitation now. If Joe really wanted something to happen and not just daydream, he couldn’t be insecure anymore. One of the lessons he had learned from his former life was that there was no gain without risk.</p><p>So he was going to put all his chips down on this gamble.</p><p>The phone call ended and Nicky put down the receiver. He took a moment to gather himself before looking back at Joe. “Sorry about that. That was Nile asking if you were ready to get started. I know you got a full day ahead of you so don’t let me keep you from it. Do you have any questions?”</p><p>“Just one,” said Joe.</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“Are you currently seeing anyone?”</p><p>Nicky’s whole body froze. He stared at Joe for about five seconds before he answered. “No. I’m not currently with anyone.”</p><p>Joe slowly got up from the chair and put his right hand down on the desk. Then he leaned over ever so slightly until Nicky looked up to meet Joe’s eyes.</p><p>“That’s good to hear,” said Joe.</p><p>Then he picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder. “I’ll head out and find Nile. I’ll see you later.” Joe smiled and gave a little wave to Nicky.</p><p>He walked out of the office and closed the door behind him. Joe leaned against the wall for a moment so that his legs could stop trembling.</p><p>
  <em>No turning back now. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p> </p><p>Somehow Joe managed to go down the stairs without falling and breaking his neck. He was wondering where he could find Nile when he heard a voice coming from his right.</p><p>“Are you Joe?”</p><p>Joe turned toward the gravelly male voice. A tall man with rugged features stood in front of him. He looked a bit tired and his eyes seemed strangely sad but it didn’t take away from his handsome face. The stranger stuck out his hand to initiate a greeting. “I’m Booker, the sous chef. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to meet you last time.”</p><p>With a friendly smile, Joe gladly took Booker’s hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Joe.”</p><p>Booker held his hand a little longer than usual as he scrutinized Joe. The younger man wasn’t sure what the sous chef was looking for but he stood still under his steady gaze. Whatever Booker was seeing must have satisfied him because he slowly grinned and let go of Joe’s hand.</p><p>“Nicky told me that you came highly recommended from Copley. That’s some impressive praise. Copley doesn’t compliment people easily.” Without even looking back, Booker started moving away and Joe followed him. “Usually I start training with the newbies but Nicky wanted to try something different. He’s going to have you learn garde manger and pastry with Nile.”</p><p><br/>“That sounds great. I met Nile already and she seems really cool.” Then Joe felt puzzled as Booker started laughing in a dark humored way. “Did I miss something?” asked Joe.</p><p>The sous chef stopped walking and turned to face Joe. “Okay, you’re new here so I’m going to do you a favor. I know Nile is really cool but she has another side to her. All the rookies called her The Marine.”</p><p>“The Marine?” asked Joe.</p><p>“Yeah, like a crazy drill sergeant Full Metal Jacket Marine.” Booker waved his index finger around his temple to emphasis his meaning.</p><p>“So I’m guessing she is a really strict teacher?”</p><p>“Ha!” scoffed Booker. “Strict is an understatement.” Then he put his hands on Joe’s shoulders and his face turned serious. “Just remember…don’t dodge the spoon or you’ll get the fork.”</p><p>Joe’s face was contorted in confusion. “Is this some sort of Matrix type pep talk? Do I have to choose the red pill or the blue pill?”</p><p>Booker laughed. “Trust me, you’ll figure it out soon enough.”</p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p> </p><p>Joe figured it out soon enough.</p><p>Once Booker had taken him to the pantry area, he was greeted with a friendly wave from Nile. The sous chef wished him good luck and then muttered something in French to Nile. Nile shot him a dirty look and said something back in French. Joe had no idea what they had said but it made Booker laugh as he walked away.</p><p>“What did he say?” asked Joe.</p><p>“Don’t worry about him. He’s just being his usual asshole self.” She offered a piece of paper to Joe. “This is the schedule that Nicky made up for your first month. You’ll be spending the majority of it with me and sometimes with Booker and Nicky. I’ll be covering all the cold preps like salad, appetizers, and dessert. Booker will cover some of the more involved process we do for our main dishes. Sounds good?”</p><p>Joe quickly scanned the calendar and processed the schedule. He was impressed how quickly Nicky had come up with a training plan for him. He looked up and smiled eagerly. “Let’s get started then.”</p><p>It started off fairly easy with Nile giving him a proper tour of the restaurant. There was a main kitchen in the back where all the prep space and storage was found. There was an open kitchen out front that prepared the finished dishes while the guests could watch and marvel at the activity. An upstairs area had the offices and an employee only area with lockers, bathrooms, and a communal space to relax and eat. There was even a small kitchen. All in all, the restaurant was well laid out and comfortable not just for the guests but also the workers. Joe especially appreciated how nice the employee’s area was. He had seen restaurants where that space has been an afterthought or not even in the equation.</p><p>Once the tour was over, Nile took Joe back to the main kitchen and started his official training. That’s when he first realized what Booker had meant by Nile being “The Marine.”</p><p>It was like a switch was flipped on. Nile’s friendly face became serious and she started giving out information and instructions in rapid fire pace. Joe felt like he was doing pretty well until he reached for a paring knife to cut something when she smacked his hand with a wooden spoon.</p><p>“Wrong tool. You want to use a chef knife to do that. It’ll take too long with a paring knife.”</p><p>Joe rubbed the back of his hand in surprise and took up the chef knife to do as instructed. He was doing pretty well for about 15 minutes until something else he did earned him another smack with the spoon.</p><p>“You’re not whisking that fast enough. Put your back into it! Do you have noodles for arms?!” demanded Nile. She took the bowl from him to demonstrate. “This is how you do it.”</p><p>This pattern continued for an hour with Joe getting smacked with the dreaded wooden spoon over and over until he made the fatal mistake of dodging it. He hadn’t meant to do it. But after the 12<sup>th</sup> hit, his body automatically cringed and ducked out of the way.</p><p>Then from out of nowhere, a large fork came out and poked Joe right in his ribs.</p><p>“Ow!” Joe rubbed his side and stared at Nile like she was crazy. “What was that?”</p><p>She held up her 18 inch basting fork that had two wicked looking points on one end. “If you dodge the spoon, you get the fork.”</p><p>Joe finally realized what Booker had meant by his warning.</p><p>“Are you nuts?” asked Joe with shock on his face. “This is abuse!”</p><p>Nile laughed and waved her fork back and forth. “You think this is abuse? I trained in Paris as a pastry chef. This is a fucking walk in the park compared to what I had to deal with. Those motherfuckers think they are God’s gift to food and let us students know every day.” She put her hands on her hips and saucily grinned at Joe. “Or are you such a wimp you can’t take the heat?”</p><p>Joe’s eyes narrowed at the challenge thrown his way. “I can take the heat. Give me your best shot, mademoiselle.”</p><p>“That’s more like it.”</p><p>The next few hours went by in a blur of activity with Nile barking orders at a steady pace. But it wasn’t all training and getting hit by wooden spoons. The other staff came wandering through to say hello and introduce themselves to Joe. Some of the female staff came on especially friendly but Joe just tried to be nice without leading anyone on.</p><p>After Joe had plated a particular salad to Nile’s strict standards, she finally smiled and started undoing the apron at her waist. “I think that is good for now. Come on, let’s go have lunch.”</p><p>“Are we eating here? “asked Joe.</p><p>“Yeah, we have an employee lunch with the whole staff before the lunch service. Nicky wants to make sure we all have a chance to fuel up before the insanity kicks in.” She started making her way upstairs and Joe followed. “The kitchen staff rotates on who gets to make the lunch for the day. The front of the house gets to eat too if they want it.”</p><p>Joe was amazed. “Do we have to pay for it?”</p><p>“No, it’s free. But the wait staff all decided to chip in a percentage of their tips to share with the cooks as thanks. Honestly, I have never seen it before I came to Ricordi. But it’s a great team building exercise and a deterrent for theft. I mean, why would you steal food if you can get it for free?”</p><p>He nodded in understanding. “Wait, did you say team building?”</p><p>“Oh yes! It gets super competitive!” laughed Nile. “We take a vote at the end of the month for who made the best lunch and we take them out for drinks. And today my friend, you are one lucky man because you’re getting a treat.”</p><p>As Nile and Joe finished climbing the stairs and rounded the corner, his nose was hit with the incredible scent of spices and savory meats. It looked like almost the whole restaurant staff was here already. At the large communal table, there was a veritable feast of different curries, baked naan, fluffy steaming rice, giant piles of samosa and chutneys of every color and flavor. Joe’s salivary glands went into overdrive at the sight of it.</p><p>“What is going on here?” asked Joe with wonder in his voice.</p><p>Nile pointed to the two men who were putting the finishing touches on the food. “That’s Ishaan and Rajat. They’re brothers and so far they are the reigning champions of the Lunch Competition for the last 4 months.” Nile whispered in a hushed tone. “I’m warning you Joe, after you have this, it will wreck you from eating at any Indian restaurants. Just remember not to overeat so you aren’t a slug for work.”</p><p>He wasn’t sure how he was going to avoid that predicament. He took up a plate and waited in line to start piling up the food. By the time he got to the end of the line, he wasn’t sure if he could fit any more on his dish. Joe joined Nile at the table and eagerly picked up his spoon.</p><p>The first bite of the chicken korma almost made Joe audible certain noises best left for the bedroom. He took a spoonful of fragrant basmati rice along with the korma and chewed with his eyes closed. Then he bit a chunk out of a crispy samosa that was filled with lentils, peas and potatoes. The mango chutney that accompanied it helped cool the heat but also added a sweet aftertaste.</p><p>Nile watched Joe as he looked like he was about to cry. “Are you dead yet?”</p><p>Joe swallowed his food and could barely make a coherent response. “I’m dead. And in heaven.”</p><p>She laughed and started to tuck into her own plate. “Just remember, your turn to make lunch will be here too.”</p><p>Joe blanched slightly at the thought. “This meal sets the bar pretty high.”</p><p>“Don’t worry. Be brave and creative.”</p><p>He nodded and went back to eating the delicious spread. After a few minutes of silent shoveling of food, Joe finally looked up and observed everything in the room.</p><p>It was an interesting group of people. He heard snippets of conversation in English, Spanish, Indian, Filipino, Italian, and French. There were a lot more women than Joe had ever seen in a kitchen before. The front of the house and the back of the house were all mingling in a natural and relaxed manner. It was quite a sight to behold.</p><p>Suddenly, a man plopped himself down in the seat beside Joe. “Hey, I heard you’re the new guy. My name’s Carlos. Nice to meet you.”</p><p>Joe turned and offered his hand for a handshake. Carlos was a large burly man with full sleeve tattoos on both arms. His head was shaved and a nicely trimmed beard covered his face. “How’s your first experience eating lunch at Ricordi?”</p><p>“Incredible. I’ve heard that most cooks don’t even have time to eat during the day because it gets so busy.”</p><p>Carlos snickered and nodded in agreement. “That’s probably true for most places. But Nicky runs things a little differently. I mean, he hired a loser like me and even personally did the training.”</p><p>Joe was surprised to hear such a statement. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Well, I’m an ex-felon. I spent some time in jail after being caught for burglary and when I got out, I couldn’t find a job. No one wants to hire a former thief.” Carlos took a sip of his drink before continuing. “I was at the grocery store trying to buy some food but I didn’t have enough cash. The guy behind me stepped up and paid the difference. I was so embarrassed but I waited for him outside the store so I can thank him.”</p><p>“Was it Nicky?” asked Joe.</p><p>“Yup. He came out and I thanked him for his help. Then he asked me about the stuff I was buying because it was all condiments.”</p><p>Joe looked puzzled. “Just condiments?”</p><p>Carlos pointed toward the delicious food in front of them. “You think we get stuff this good in prison? Hell no! The best I could do was try to be creative with the condiments. Once I got out and I was living on shitty cheap food, I continued the tradition. So there was Nicky and me talking about fucking hot sauce and ketchup for 30 minutes outside the store before he offered me a job!” He was laughing and slapping the table.</p><p>“Did Nicky ever show any doubts or treat you differently?”</p><p>Carlos shook his head to signal a no. “He never treated me in a bad way. I thought he would be more cautious because of my criminal history but it never fazed him. And I never felt a need to go back to my old ways. I got good hours, great pay, and fuck, we even have benefits! Why the hell would I rock that boat?”</p><p>If Joe had been impressed with Nicky’s kindness before, his estimation of him went up even further. The hospitality industry was notorious for poor working conditions. But from what he was hearing from Carlos and other staff members, Ricordi avoided most of those common pitfalls. They all seemed to agree that the architect of this situation was Nicky. Simply put, the people were happy to be here.</p><p>“I’ll let you go back to your lunch.” Carlos got up and took up his plate and cup. “I just wanted to say hi and let you know that once The Marine is done abusing you, you can ask me for help if you ever need anything.”</p><p>“Do you need a refresher? Cause I can provide that,” threatened Nile.</p><p>“Fuck no. I don’t want to be stabbed by your fork again.” Carlos winked at Joe. “Good luck.”</p><p>With that, the large man wandered off to another group of people. Joe looked at Nile a bit bewildered. “Is it like this for everyone?”</p><p>“Not everyone. But Nicky does things his own way and some of our staff have colorful histories. He thinks it’s important for people to have chances.” She pointed to herself. “Nicky saved me too.”</p><p>Joe looked at her with a shocked expression. “You? You don’t strike me as someone who needs saving.”</p><p>“I’ll take that as a compliment!” But then Nile’s face turned grim. “After I busted my ass and got through school in Paris, I thought I would have it easy finding a job. But the fact that I’m a woman and a black woman at that, made it really hard to find a foot in the door. You used to work in finance right? Surely you must know what I’m talking about.”</p><p>Sadly, Joe did know what she was talking about. A lot of his clients had been from rich families with old money. A lot of Ivy League and family connections fueled their dynamic and it wasn’t unusual if Joe was one of the few person of color at a meeting or party. One of the reasons he had burned out was having to deal with racist assholes on a regular basis. Of course not everyone were bigots but even one bad experience could sour your outlook.</p><p>“Anyways,” said Nile, “I was working at a high end patisserie after I got out of school. I think the only reason I even got that job was because a bunch of people quit at once…”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Nile had to grit her teeth so she could stop herself from saying what was on her mind.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Chef Jean-Pierre was scowling at her as though she was the most insignificant and offensive amoeba he had ever seen. He looked down at the plate that was on the table. “What is this?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s the special item of the day, sir,” replied Nile.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“And why is it not one of the items from my list?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She tried to compose her voice in the most respectful manner she could. This was the first job she managed to land after months of looking. She didn’t want to mess this up. “Because you were gone for a week, sir. You didn’t leave us with any instruction so I made that instead.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Unfortunately, that was the wrong answer. Chef Jean-Pierre exploded in anger and started berating her for her insolence. Most of it was in French and just Nile’s luck, she understood every word he said. After 10 minutes of yelling at her, he left the store in a huff. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The other employees could barely look at Nile and scurried off to do other things. She sighed and made her way toward the front of the store. He had demanded that she remove all of the offensive items she had made and to throw them in the trash.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She opened the door connecting the kitchen to the front counter and saw some of the patrons looking scandalized. Wonderful. They had heard the whole damn tirade. She made her way over to the display case and started removing the baklava she had baked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Excuse me, Miss. What are you planning to do with that?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nile looked up and saw a handsome man with striking green eyes looking inquisitively at her. “The chef told me to dump it.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Would it be all right for me to try one?” asked the mysterious man.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Sure why not.” Nile shrugged and gave him a piece.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn’t eat it right away. Instead, he first brought it to his nose and smelled it. Then he inspected it from all angles and even peeled the layers to see inside. Then he took a bite and chewed it thoughtfully.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nile watched as he started muttering under his breath. “…hazelnut, not walnut…The Black Sea…Rosewater…Pomegranate…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then he turned those bright green eyes on her. “Eastern Turkey.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nile was stunned. How had he deciphered the ingredients after just one bite? “Yeah. That’s right. It’s a recipe I found from an old Turkish cookbook. I thought it was an interesting item to showcase.” She looked down at her baklava with a bit of sadness. “I guess the chef didn’t agree.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“That chef is an idiot and your talents are wasted here.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card. “My name is Nicky. Would you like a new job?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Joe’s mouth was hanging open in amazement. “Nicky headhunted you?”</p><p>Nile was laughing so hard that she almost choked on her food. “Yes he did! He totally swiped me away from that hellhole! Best fucking deal in my life!”</p><p>He was shaking his head in almost disbelief. “That’s incredible.” Then a thought occurred to Joe. “Does this mean I can’t convince Nicky to fire you so I don’t get stabbed with a fork?”</p><p>She snorted in disdain. “It’s not Nicky you gotta worry about. It’s Andy. She creams her panties for my baklava and she’ll go after you with an axe if you disrupt that supply chain.”</p><p>For a moment, Joe imagined Andy with an axe and somehow it fit her perfectly.</p><p>“What’s this about my panties?”</p><p>Nile and Joe both turned to see Andy standing behind them.</p><p>“Oh, not much,” said Nile. “Just that my desserts are orgasmic in nature.”</p><p>Andy grinned shamelessly. “I can’t deny that.”</p><p>“But does she even wear panties?!” shouted Booker from the other end of the table.</p><p>“You’ll never find out, will you Booker?” said Andy. Everyone in the room laughed and started giving grief to the Frenchman for his attempt to embarrass her.</p><p>“Okay, okay, settle down everyone.” Andy made her way to the front of the room. “Let’s get this meeting started. You ready, Nicky?” She called over toward the offices and the head chef came out to join her.</p><p>“Ready. Let’s start with our reservations today and the custom menus.” Nicky started reading out loud his notes for the day.</p><p>Joe realized this was another reason for the employee lunch. It provided an opportunity for both Andy and Nicky to go over the day and answer any questions before the guests showed up. Rajat came over with plates fully laden with food for both of them and left it by their side. Nicky nodded a thanks and kept talking.</p><p>It was hard to pay attention but Joe really tried. It was just that Nicky was so distracting. He hoped that if he missed anything, it can be forgiven by his rookie status. But he doubted Nile would let anything slide.</p><p>After the meeting was done, Nicky and Andy joined them in finishing their lunch. Joe was sitting about five seats away from Nicky so all he could do was stare and try not to look obvious about it.</p><p>“Stop your drooling over him and finish your food. We got work to do,” teased Nile. She gave him a knowing look and grinned.</p><p>“I’m not drooling,” retorted Joe.</p><p>“Uh huh.” Nile got up with her dirty dishes. “I’ll meet you back downstairs in five minutes.”</p><p>Joe watched her go and hurriedly gulped down the food. He looked up again when he heard Nicky laughing over a joke that Andy made. But then his eyes wandered until it landed on Joe. They both stared at each other for one hot moment before someone else got Nicky’s attention.</p><p>
  <em>This is going to be a long day.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p> </p><p>The lunch rush was incredibly hectic.</p><p>Since this was his first day, Joe was expected to observe first and then help out later. He took up a corner of the open kitchen and watched in awe as everyone moved in unison. Booker was in the middle barking out instructions like a general as new orders kept printing from the machine. With each new item, the line chefs all yelled “Oui, chef!” and didn’t even blink an eye at the speed of incoming dishes. Joe looked out at the full lunch crowd and estimated around 80 orders in just the first 15 minutes. And it kept coming.</p><p>Joe marveled at the scene. Whether it was Booker checking each dish before a wait staff whisked it away or Nile plating out 20 salads at a time, it was an orchestra of harmonious team work. It was such a contrast to his old work where everyone was competing against each other and scrabbling around the scraps thrown to them from high end investors.</p><p>He was itching to join the line.</p><p>After a frantic three hours, the lunch service finally started winding down. There were the last few orders that trickled in but the majority of the people left happy and full. Joe saw Nile wiping down her counter and he joined her to help clean up.</p><p>“So how was your first lunch rush?” asked Nile.</p><p>“That was amazing. It’s crazy how many orders you can keep track in your head. How do you do that?”</p><p>Nile laughed and started gathering up her dirty tools to take to the dishwashers. “You get used to it. It’s really hard at first but then you figure out a system in your head. Booker also makes sure to keep it all in line too.” She stacked the used mixing bowls along with her cutting board. “He’s a cranky bastard but he’s really good at his job.”</p><p>“I can see that. You’re all really good.”</p><p>“Thanks!” She pointed toward her pile of dirty tools and bowls. “Let’s take these to the dishwasher.”</p><p>Joe picked up as much as he can carry and followed her back to the main kitchen. Everybody was busy cleaning up, restocking and getting ready for the dinner service.</p><p>Nile once again picked up Joe’s training and taught him how each individual pieces of the salads were fabricated. Everything from the caramelized walnuts to pickled red onions were made to be done from scratch. It was expected that he would know how to assemble but also to make every single component.</p><p>The next few hours went by in a flash although the smack of the wooden spoon was a constant reminder of his errors. Then it was time to watch the dinner service.</p><p>Joe had expected Booker to be there but he was surprised to see Nicky. It seemed that Booker usually led the lunch and Nicky worked the dinner. For Joe, there was nothing he wanted more than to see Nicky in action. And he was not disappointed.</p><p>Nicky was like the eye of the hurricane. He exuded a calmness that belied the sheer frenetic energy that swirled around him. No matter how fast the orders came in, he was unflappable. In a clear but loud voice, he called out orders and carefully inspected all the dishes before giving his approval. The team worked seamlessly and before Joe even realized it, the dinner was done and the guests were starting to leave.</p><p>“You look like you’ve been hit on the head. You’re going to be okay, rookie?”</p><p>Joe turned toward Booker who had come up behind him. “That was crazy. How does he do that? I mean, how do you both do that?”</p><p>The older man chuckled. “Practice. But it’s not something anybody can do.” He tilted his chin toward Nicky. “He makes it look easy but don’t be fooled. Now come on, let’s start shutting down so we can get the heck out of here.”</p><p>Joe followed Booker and was shown how the kitchen broke down for the night. Everything was cleaned and wiped down so it would ready for the morning shift. He showed Joe where all the mise en place were properly stored for the next time they were needed. There was even a checklist to make sure nothing was forgotten.</p><p>“Good job making it through the day, Joe.” Booker gave a friendly pat on the shoulder. “I’m going to be heading out now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p><p>He waved goodbye to Booker and went to find Nile. “Hey, is there anything else you would like me to do?”</p><p>Nile was putting her tools away and gave him a thumbs up. “Nope, I think we are done for the night. You survived! Go and celebrate!” She started smacking his back enthusiastically.</p><p>Joe groaned slightly at how strong her hits were. “I think I need to go home and pass out.”</p><p>“Suit yourself! See you tomorrow!” With that, Nile took off with a wave.</p><p>As he started gathering up his gear, he waved goodbye to other cooks as they left for the night. Then he looked up at the ceiling and wondered if Nicky had gone home yet.</p><p>
  <em>Maybe I’ll go and see what he is up to.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p> </p><p>Nicky was trying to finish up but he was struggling.</p><p>He had struggled as well during the dinner service. He could see Joe in the corner of his eye and he had to keep reminding himself to stay focused. He would go stretches of time where he did that but then Joe would shift and catch his eye. Nicky could feel the heat of Joe’s stare as he was fixated on Nicky the whole time.</p><p>His thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock and Andy let herself into the room. She closed the door and looked at his unusually messy desk. “This is odd. This looks more like my desk. Are you sure you’re in the right room?”</p><p>“Real funny, Andy,” sighed Nicky. “I’m trying to finish up. What can I do for you?”</p><p>Andy put the most innocent and nonchalant look on her face. “Oh, I was just wondering how our new intern was doing. Did you go spy on him more after lunch?”</p><p>Nicky cringed inside at the reminder. He had tried to discretely check on Joe during the morning shift and Andy had caught him. He had hightailed it back to his office before she could embarrass him in front of the staff.</p><p>“I wasn’t spying on him. I was just checking to make sure Nile wasn’t killing him.” Even to his ears, he sounded defensive.</p><p>“Okay, so this is me taking off my General Manager hat.” Andy dramatically took off an invisible hat off her head and placed it on his desk. “So now I am talking to you as a friend.”</p><p>He looked at her with a bit of dread in his voice. “Am I going to like this talk?”</p><p>Andy laughed and leaned back into the chair. “Look, Nicky. I know we’ve talked about this before but you really need to stop holding yourself back. I know that Booker and I have shown you a shitty work and life balance but you can’t use us as role models.” When Nicky tried to protest, she held up a hand to stop him. “I know you love us but you can’t deny that he fucked up his marriage and I can’t seem to make any relationship stick either.”</p><p>His face was sad and he looked like he wanted to deny it. But Andy kept going. “I know you also love the staff but you need to have your own life too. Being afraid to have someone meaningful in your life because you think it will fail or interfere with your duties is not a good state to be in.”</p><p>Andy reached across the desk and took his hands in hers. “In the many years I have known you, I have never seen you so flustered over someone. And that someone obviously feels the same.”</p><p>Nicky looked her doubtfully. “How can you know that?”</p><p>She looked at him like he was a blind idiot. “Because he was staring at you like he would rather eat <em>you</em> for lunch. And it warms my cold frozen heart that Joe might actually do something about it.”</p><p>“This is pretty unprofessional of you, Andy. Telling me to have romantic relations with an employee?”</p><p>She laughed and slapped at his hands. “Hey, I took my General Manager hat off! Besides,” she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “I don’t have control over what two consenting adults do outside of work hours. So you should have some fun, if you get my drift.”</p><p>Nicky groaned while Andy laughed at his expense. Then a knock interrupted them and Andy looked at him in surprise. Nicky brought up his hands in a gesture of “I don’t know”.</p><p>“Hi Nicky, I was wondering if you had a minute to talk.” It was Joe.</p><p>Andy covered her mouth in surprise but her eyes were dancing. “Speak of the devil.” She got up and opened the door and greeted him. “Hey Joe! How are you doing?”</p><p>“Good. Am I interrupting?” he asked.</p><p>“No, I was just on my way out.” Andy waved to Nicky over Joe’s shoulders and winked at him. “See you tomorrow, you two!”</p><p>She breezed out of there like a typhoon and left Joe and Nicky alone. Joe stood there for a moment but then closed the door and sat down on the chair. As for Nicky, his brain was still trying to catch up from the bomb that Andy had dropped in his lap.</p><p>It was true that he was interested in Joe. Very interested. Usually his busy schedule made it easy to ignore any such thoughts. It was also true that his reluctance to date was rooted in watching people he cared about ruin their chances at love. If they couldn’t make this job and a significant other work, what was <em>his</em> chances?</p><p>But there was something about Joe that Nicky couldn’t quite put his finger on. Joe made him feel comfortable but also excited at the same time. The almost instant familiarity made him feel like he had known Joe before.</p><p>But their previous meeting in the morning didn’t help his current state of mind. When Joe had told him he found Nicky interesting and asked if he was single, it had set fire to Nicky’s brain. Frankly, Nicky was shocked he hadn’t chopped off a finger during dinner service.</p><p>“So, I came by to thank you for hiring me.” Joe smiled at Nicky. “It’s been an amazing first day and I wondered if you wanted to go grab a drink to finish it.”</p><p>He was taken aback by the invitation. Not by the question but by his own immediate thought of wanting to accept. But he had to decline.</p><p>Nicky rubbed the back of his head in reluctance. “I’m not supposed to tell you this but the staff wanted to take you out for drinks at the end of the week if you survived Nile’s abuse. If I went with you now, it would kind of hijack that plan.”</p><p>The laughter that came from Joe was like a balm on Nicky’s nerves. “If I survived her abuse? So have people not survived it before?”</p><p>Nicky tried not to laugh but he couldn’t help himself. “Nile is a force to be reckoned with. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about the fork. I really should have.”</p><p>“Well she got me pretty good a few times,” said Joe.</p><p>At that new information, Nicky’s face turned worried and concerned. “I hope she didn’t really hurt you. It’s supposed to be more of a teasing. Are you all right?”</p><p>Joe tipped his head to the side and a strange look came over his eyes. “Do you want to see?”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>Before Nicky could figure out what he meant, Joe had gotten up from the chair. He started untying the strings of his apron that was wrapped around his waist. Then his fingers started undoing the buttons of his chef shirt.</p><p>Nicky bolted up from his chair in surprise. “It’s really unnecessary-“</p><p>But before Nicky could further protest, Joe’s shirt hit the ground and he started pointing out the various places that Nile had hit him with the spoon or fork.</p><p>“She got me here with the spoon when I used the wrong whisk.” Joe pointed to his right shoulder where a small red mark was still present. “Then she got me here with the fork the first time I dodged the spoon.” Joe turned and pointed to his ribs.</p><p>Nicky couldn’t help but notice how incredibly sexy Joe looked in just his checkered pants and boots. His eyes swept over Joe’s well defined muscles and warm smooth skin. The urge to run his hands over the expanse of Joe’s toned back was overwhelming.</p><p>“And this was where she got me when I accidently dropped a mixing bowl.” Joe hooked his thumb over the waistband of his pants and brought it down slightly to show his hip bone. The subtle curve of Joe’s ass was right where he was holding back the elastic.</p><p>Nicky wasn’t sure how he had stopped himself from jumping over the desk at Joe.</p><p>“Oh but the worst…is here.” Joe held up his right hand and showed the back of it. “The fork actually broke the skin.”</p><p>He was right. Nicky could see two small red points that was in the middle of his hand. His mouth was so dry that he could barely utter a complete sentence.</p><p>“Um…should I get you a Band-Aid?” asked Nicky in his most feeble voice.</p><p>“Actually, I think a kiss might make it feel better.” Joe was grinning in the most mischievous way.</p><p>Nicky coughed and tried to clear his throat. “I’m sorry but kissing booboos wasn’t part of my training.”</p><p>Joe laughed and reached down to retrieve his shirt and apron. “That’s too bad.” He started putting everything back on, but very slowly. “And since you can’t have a drink with me or it will spoil the surprise, I’ll just pretend you didn’t let me in on the secret.”</p><p>Nicky nodded in gratitude. “Thank you for the offer. But maybe next time.”</p><p>“Oh, so there could be a next time?”</p><p>Frozen again under such direct and forward questions, Nicky hesitated. “Nothing is impossible.” It was the best he could come up with.</p><p>Joe accepted that graciously and started making his way toward the door. “Then I guess I’ll be heading off then. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He waved a goodbye and closed the door.</p><p>For a few seconds although it felt longer to him, Nicky sat in in his chair and processed what had just happened. Then Andy’s annoying voice intruded into his thoughts.</p><p>
  <em>You really need to stop holding yourself back.</em>
</p><p>Nicky moved so fast that his chair almost toppled over. He left his office and saw that Joe was just about to turn toward the stairs.</p><p>“Joe.”</p><p>Joe stopped when he heard his voice being called out. He watched Nicky approach and stared as he lifted Joe’s right hand. Then he gently pressed a soft kiss over the two angry red marks.</p><p>Joe stopped breathing. It was such a light touch and yet it affected him in ways that no kiss had ever done before.</p><p>Nicky whispered softly against his hand. “Don’t dodge the spoon.” Then he slowly let go of Joe and went back to his office.</p><p>Joe wasn’t sure how long he stood there but he had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. As for Nicky, he was back in his chair with his inflamed face in his hands. He only had one thought going through his head.</p><p>
  <em>I am so fucked. </em>
</p><p>Then he remembered Joe’s incredible body and all the marks that Nile had afflicted upon it.</p><p>
  <em>Damnit. I’m going to lose my bet with Booker.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you everyone for the wonderful feedback! It makes me so happy to hear you are enjoying this. I know I talked a lot about other characters but I just love world building and fleshing out the cast. Nile's predicament was especially heartbreaking because that crappy stuff really does happen in real life. </p><p>You can find me at <a href="https://kiaya.tumblr.com/">my Tumblr page</a>. Let me know if you have any questions!</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Revelations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Joe managed to survive his first week.</p><p>Of course, Nile had not made it easy. But he was proud to say that with each passing day, he was smacked with the wooden spoon less and less. He had taken Nicky’s advice to heart and had stopped dodging the spoon. The only regret he had was that he wouldn’t get anymore kisses for his injuries.</p><p>Even though she was trying to hide it, Joe could tell that Nile was pleased with him. Carlos had told him that most rookies got the spoon abuse for at least a few weeks but Joe had managed to get out of the weeds faster than former newbies. He also suspected that the lack of complaint on his part probably helped. Nile didn’t strike him as someone who tolerated whining.</p><p>Booker had stopped by to train as well. The first time Booker had him take care of the lobsters was quite a sight. Joe’s face had looked a little green as the lobsters still twitched and moved even after dismemberment. He had a sneaking suspicion that Booker had thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle. </p><p>As for Nicky, he started going over inventory and other managerial duties so that Joe could have a sound understanding of the business. Being able to cook was good but if you couldn’t manage your restaurant, you would probably shut down within six months from opening.</p><p>Joe was secretly glad but also sad that these lessons took place in the public employee space. He loved the idea of having Nicky all to himself but if they had been alone, Joe didn’t think he could have focused on the lesson. So instead he had to settle for trying not to undress Nicky in his mind as he talked about ordering schedules and proper labeling.</p><p>But after the whirlwind first week, it was finally Sunday night and the last customer went out the door. The line cooks cheered and the hostess rushed to lock the door in case anyone decided to wander in last minute.</p><p>Nile clapped Joe on the back. “Hey rookie! You made it! Are you ready to get shitfaced drunk tonight?”</p><p>Joe put on a surprised face so that he wouldn’t reveal that he already knew. “We’re going out to drink?”</p><p>“Of course we are! We need to go celebrate you surviving my abuse for the first week!” Nile waved her wooden spoon playfully. “Besides, we don’t need much of an excuse to go party.”</p><p>He started undoing his apron and setting it aside. “Who’s coming?”</p><p>“Most of the cooks and some of the wait staff too. I heard even Andy is coming. She doesn’t always come to our outings because she thinks people get nervous drinking around the boss.”</p><p>Joe smiled as they started walking towards the locker area. “Do I need to be aware of anything before I get drunk in front of the boss?”</p><p>“Just don’t get grabby. Andy has a black belt in judo and she will kick your ass.” Nile motioned her index finger across her neck. “One time I saw this idiot at a bar try to get physical with one of our waitresses. She went over and just threw the guy to the ground like he weighed nothing.”</p><p>He whistled in appreciation. Somehow it didn’t surprise him that Andy was capable of throwing a grown man over her shoulders. He also decided never to piss her off.</p><p>After they got changed, they joined the rest of the employees by the side door. There were about 20 people who had decided to come for the drinking. When Joe came out through the door, they all cheered him on getting through the first week. Joe was a bit embarrassed by all the attention but he was also appreciative. Everyone had been so kind and encouraging. No question had been turned away and even when he made mistakes, he was corrected without any drama.</p><p>Joe was also glad to see that Nicky was there. When Nile had mentioned that Andy didn’t always come to the drinking events, he had wondered if Nicky might not show up. But he was there and for the first time, in casual clothing. He was dressed in jeans and a green shirt. He had a black jacket that hugged his shoulders and looked comfortable. Leave it to Nicky to dress in the most practical way possible.</p><p>“All right, you troublemakers. Let’s keep it classy,” said Andy. “Tonight’s on me.”</p><p>Everyone cheered even louder and started walking toward their usual after work bar. The Safe House was only a few blocks away and open extremely late. It catered to the late night crowd and perfect for a drink to finish off a long day of slogging in the lines. Joe laughed easily with everyone as the cool night breeze made the walk even more pleasant.</p><p>When they entered the bar, it was already in full swing. Other patrons saw them and started to wave hello. Joe surmised that they weren’t the only restaurant crew that had gathered for a late night drinking session.</p><p>Andy led the way toward the bar and waved at the bartender. She motioned toward her group and let him know to put everything on her tab. The bartender smiled and pointed toward the corner where there was still some seating left. When all the chairs had been taken, the rest sat by the bar and started ordering. Somehow, Joe ended up sitting beside Nicky and Andy. He looked around for Nile but she was at the bar with Booker.</p><p>“So what did you think about your first week?” asked Andy.</p><p>Joe laughed loudly. “It was crazy! But I loved it. I also want to file a complaint for assault but I fear that Nile will lock me in the walk in freezer and never let me out.”</p><p>“No, she’ll probably gut you when you least expect it and then hide your body in the forest,” chuckled Nicky. He relaxed into his seat and pointed at Nile. “Or maybe shove you into the oven.”</p><p>All three of them laughed so loudly that the person in question turned and squinted at them with suspicion. “You better not be talking shit about me!” Nile waved her fist in a comically threatening manner.</p><p>“We would never!” yelled Nicky. He nudged Andy and she nodded her head in agreement.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” said Nile. Then she turned back to Booker and grinned. “They are totally talking about me.”</p><p>Booker was already downing his first shot of the night. He was never one to wait long before drinking at a bar. “Of course they are. Nicky put the rookie with you almost full time. That pretty much never happens.” He nudged her shoulder with affection. “But I totally owe you.”</p><p>She looked at Booker with a raised eyebrow. “What did I do?”</p><p>“You won me 50 bucks. I bet with Nicky that you were going to beat the crap out of the rookie on the first day.” He started ordering another shot while Nile was too busy laughing.</p><p>“Figures you two would make a bet on that. But Joe really surprised me. He’s actually really good. Probably the best newbie I have seen yet.” Nile hummed in thought and drummed her fingers on the counter top. “Only thing he’s really messed up is the betting pool.”</p><p>“What betting pool? And how come I wasn’t in on this?” asked Booker. He drank down his second shot without batting an eye.</p><p>She snorted and slapped him on the back. “That’s because you were late on his first day! We had a bet going on who was going to snag Joe. But now that’s been changed to how long it will take before Joe will snag Nicky.” Nile wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and nodded toward the corner table.</p><p>Booker followed her nod and looked at Nicky and Joe. They were currently laughing about something while drinking beer. He looked back to Nile like she had gone insane. “Are you kidding me? That’s a losing bet. Every idiot who tried to make a move on Nicky has been shot down.”</p><p>“Yeah no shit, Sherlock. But there is always a first time and that’s why we are betting.” She pointed toward Joe. “Besides, he is so freaking adorable! How can you say no to that man?”</p><p>Booker started to wave at the bartender for another drink. “Nicky is different from us. He likes being alone.”</p><p>Nile stared at Booker as his face turned sour. “You can’t possibly believe that. No one wants to be alone. It’s almost like you actually want him to be miserable.”</p><p>“Well as they say, misery loves company.” Booker took a gulp of his new drink. Suddenly, Nile took his drink away and he scowled at her. “What the fuck, Nile. Hand it over.”</p><p>Instead of handing it over, she drank it and finished off the whole glass. “You being miserable and lonely doesn’t mean Nicky has to join you in your little hell. And slow the fuck down with the drinking or I will personally whup your ass.”</p><p>They both stared at each other for a tense moment before the shouts from the corner drew their attention away. Currently in front of Joe was an obscenely amount of various alcohol and a crowd that was urging him to drink it all. He was waving his hands to show that he couldn’t possibly finish it but there was no stopping the crowd. So one by one he started working through them as they continued to cheer for him. Andy shook her head in exasperation while Nicky tried to sneak a few glasses away discretely to help him out.</p><p>“Guess the party is that way.” Nile looked at the bartender and pointed at Booker. “Please monitor this man.” Then she took off toward the rowdy table full of her co-workers.</p><p>“Hey Nile! Glad you can join the party!” said Carlos. He gave her a bear hug and offered her his seat. “I think Joe is not going to leave this place sober.”</p><p>“I don’t know if I will leave this place conscious!” Joe was already slurring his words ever so slightly. “Nile, please save me.”</p><p>“Uh huh, I ain’t going near that. Not my job!” She pointed at Andy. “She’s the boss around here.”</p><p>Andy smiled and shook her head to decline the offer. “Nope. I just came here to make sure the drinks will be on my tab and see you lot get settled in. I’m going to take off in a sec so the responsibility is actually Nicky’s!”</p><p>Nicky almost spit out his beer from surprise. “What?”</p><p>Andy arched her perfect eyebrows and smiled like a very satisfied cat. “You know Joe is going to get totally wasted. Are you seeing the amount of drinks they bought for him? Since I’m leaving early, it’s your job to be the responsible adult and get him home.” Then she leaned in real close to his ear. “Just don’t ravish him while drunk okay? Consent first!”</p><p>He spluttered in shock at Andy suggesting he would ever do anything inappropriate. Then he looked at Joe as the rest of his crew were cheering him on he drank another shot. Nicky started having a sneaking suspicion that he was getting set up.</p><p>“Have fun everybody. I’m taking off early. Don’t cause any trouble you hear me?” Andy got up and started gathering her belongings. They started complaining and asking her to stay longer. “Sorry, but I got an early morning meeting. See you on Tuesday!”</p><p>With that, Andy left the party to head out into the night. Joe looked up a bit puzzled by her words. “Tuesday? But aren’t we open on Monday?”</p><p>Nicky was drinking from his pint when he heard him. “Oh yeah I forgot to tell you. Every second Monday of the month, we close the restaurant for a deep clean. We’ve been on the Good List for the health inspector for years and I like it that way.”</p><p>Joe was halfway done through his own pint. “Does this mean I can sleep off my hangover tomorrow in peace?”</p><p>“Yup. That’s why they chose tonight for your celebration party,” smiled Nicky. “But in all seriousness, you really don’t have to drink all of that. They got excited and a bit carried away.”</p><p>“No way, I can’t turn down their generosity. Just watch me!”</p><p>And so Nicky did. He watched Joe as he laughed and even made fake crying faces when a particular drink was especially abhorrent. He had known that Joe would fit right in with the restaurant but seeing how everyone treated him after just one week was very satisfying for Nicky. It made him happy to see that his work family had welcomed him with open arms.</p><p>As the night passed, the partygoers left one by one until it was just Joe, Nicky, Nile and Booker. Nile cocked her head toward the Frenchman. “I’ll send him home, okay? I know you usually do that but I think Joe needs your help.”</p><p>Joe was currently very happily drunk and had his right arm slung around Nicky’s shoulders. He was giggling about something and smothering his face into the other man’s neck.</p><p>“Thanks Nile. You get home safely.” With that, he lifted Joe and started walking awkwardly to the door. “Joe, you have to try to walk.”</p><p>Their progress was slow but they made it through the exit. Once outside, the cool night air hit them with a blast. Nicky looked around and saw a few taxis parked and waiting to take drunk patrons home. He nudged Joe toward one of them and once inside, he had to ask Joe three times before he got his full address to the driver.</p><p>Once the car made it to the destination, Nicky paid and got out of the taxi to help Joe out. He looked up and saw that he was at a loft apartment in the former industrial area. He helped Joe up the steps but then saw the numbered keypad to open the door. “Joe, you need to put in the code.”</p><p>Joe looked up but barely registered what was in front of him. Nicky asked again and this time he slurred out an answer. “It’s…1…0…9…9.”</p><p>Nicky pressed the keys on the number pad and heard a beep when the door was unlocked. He helped Joe walk along the hallway and reached the elevator. “Which floor?” asked Nicky.</p><p>“…fourth floor,” responded Joe. Then he laughed and looked at Nicky with glassy eyes. “Hey, are we at my place? Wow, that’s awesome! You’re the best!” Joe hugged Nicky with enthusiasm and they both stumbled back into the waiting elevator.</p><p>Nicky pressed the button for the fourth floor and continued to hold Joe while the drunken man leaned against him. Once the door opened, he maneuvered Joe out and then to the apartment door. “Joe, you need to unlock the door.”</p><p>“Mmm…key…back pocket…”</p><p>Nicky swallowed hard and tried not to overthink it as he reached into Joe’s back pocket to retrieve the keys. He also tried hard not to think about how firm it had felt under the pocket. He unlocked the door and they both crossed the threshold with a stumble. Joe fell first and then Nicky landed on top.</p><p>“Oof!” All the air left Joe’s lungs when his back hit the floor. Then he closed his arms around Nicky before the other man could get up. “…the floor is kinda hard but if that’s what you want…”</p><p>Nicky’s face turned bright red in embarrassment. He managed to break free of Joe’s embrace and got off of him. He removed his shoes and Joe's with a little difficulty. Then he looked around to see where the bedroom might be and saw a set of stairs that led to the second floor. He lifted the taller man and somehow managed to make it up the stairs to the bedroom area. Once near the bed, he gently lowered Joe until he was settled down on the mattress.</p><p>Now that Joe was safely deposited, Nicky managed to get a good look around. Joe had left a few lamps on and their soft glow gently illuminated everything. The loft was one giant open space and painted in vibrant hues of yellow, orange, and red. The upstairs platform held the bedroom and he could look down to see the living room, kitchen, dining space, and bathroom. There was another door that could have been a closet or perhaps the laundry room. There was one corner of the bedroom that held an easel with an unfinished canvas on it. Art supplies surrounded the chair that faced the painting. Nicky made a mental note to ask Joe about his artistic efforts when he was less drunk.</p><p>“Hmmm…am I dreaming?”</p><p>Nicky looked down at Joe and then sat down beside him on the bed. The inebriated man smiled softly and lifted his hand to gently touch Nicky’s face. “This has to be a dream,” whispered Joe.</p><p>“No, Joe. It’s not a dream. We just went drinking with the team and now you’re back in your place.” Nicky started pulling away. “I should get you some water before you sleep.”</p><p>But before he could leave, Joe grabbed him by his wrist and tugged forward. Nicky lost his balance and flopped on to the bed. Then Nicky felt an arm settle itself around his waist and pull him closer. Now his back was pressed tight against Joe’s chest and he felt the brush of a slow breath against the back of his neck.</p><p>Nicky held still for what felt like an eternity. He wasn’t sure if Joe had fallen asleep or not but his hold around his waist did not loosen. Then suddenly Joe nuzzled his neck and said in a sleepy voice, “…But if this is a dream, it’s different from before…”</p><p>He decided that Joe was obviously not asleep but was also not fully awake either. Even though he had meant to get Joe something to drink, suddenly he was loathed to give up the warmth of this closeness. Nicky decided to humor the drunken man. “How is this different from before?”</p><p>“Well…for one thing…I can see your face,” replied Joe.</p><p>“See my face? Why is that weird?” Nicky tried to turn his head a bit to look behind him but couldn’t see Joe’s expression.</p><p>“Because…I never got to see your face…the first time I saw you,” mumbled Joe. He found Nicky’s hand and started to lace his fingers through.  "All I saw was your back….and your arm…with the shield tattoo…that was the only way…I knew it was you when…I saw you the second time…”</p><p>This statement confused Nicky. Saw only his back on their first meeting? But their first meeting was at the job interview and they had obviously talked face to face. Was Joe confused? “But we met for the first time at the interview.” He tried again to look behind him. “Didn’t we?”</p><p>There was no reply from Joe because he was fast asleep. Nicky could hear the deep even breathing and Joe’s arm settled even more heavily around his waist. He laid there and contemplated his choices. Should he get up and possibly wake up Joe? Or was Joe so drunk that he wouldn’t even notice if Nicky had left?</p><p>But the real question was, did Nicky want to leave?</p><p>As the warmth of Joe’s body permeated his back, Nicky looked down at their joined hands. The pillow under his head smelled faintly of Joe’s shampoo and something else that belonged just to him. Even though the whole situation should have unnerved him, Nicky didn’t feel the slightest bit of discomfort. If anything, everything felt so right. As though they were two puzzle pieces that had clicked into place.</p><p>Slowly, Nicky’s eyes started to close from his own exhaustion. He had not drank as much as Joe but the long work day and the beer was seeping consciousness from his brain. Nicky settled further into Joe’s arms and fell asleep.</p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p>Joe woke up with a start.</p><p>Then the stabbing pain went through his skull and he moaned into his pillow. He remembered faint bits of the night before but he knew this aching was a direct result of it. Joe made a mental note to return the favor to his lovely co-workers the next time he had a chance.</p><p>He rolled over in the bed and buried his face in the pillow. Despite the headache, he was glad that he had gone out to drink with his new work family. The last time he had that much fun had been the surprise birthday party he had thrown for Quynh. It also occurred to him how much she would enjoy his new friends. He made a reminder to himself to invite her next time.</p><p>But the best part had been Nicky. Maybe it was the setting but the head chef had dropped a lot of his professional demeanor and joined in the reverie. It had been quite the sight.</p><p>Fragments of memory suddenly came to Joe. Of a car, being asked to open the door, and falling.</p><p>
  <em>Wait…how did I get home?</em>
</p><p>Then Joe heard a clatter from downstairs and he nearly jumped from the bed. He went over by the railing that overlooked the loft and saw movement by the kitchen.</p><p>It was Nicky. Nicky was in his apartment.</p><p>Joe ducked out of view in a moment of panic. But that explained how he had made it home. Nicky had brought him here and for some reason, he was still here.</p><p>
  <em>Okay Joe, stop panicking. Just go downstairs and say thank you. Keep it simple.</em>
</p><p>Joe stripped off his shirt and put on a new one. Then he slowly made his way down the stairs. He saw that Nicky was in the kitchen making something. Joe cringed inward when he realized how empty his fridge was. The first week of working at Ricordi had drained all motivation to go shopping. He wondered what Nicky could have possibly made from his sadly depleted refrigerator.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Nicky turned around when he heard Joe’s tentative greeting. He was still in his clothes from last night but looking a bit more rumpled. His hair stood up a bit on the side in the most endearing way. Then he smiled so sweetly that Joe thought he was about have a heart attack.</p><p>“Good morning. How are you feeling?”</p><p>Joe rubbed the back of his head with a small groan. “Like I got smacked on the head with a shovel.”</p><p>He tried to contain his mirth but Nicky couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing. Go and get cleaned up. The food is almost ready.” Nicky turned back toward the stove top. “I hope you don’t mind but I used the extra toothbrush you had in your bathroom drawer.”</p><p>“Of course not. I’ll be back.” Joe slowly made his way to the bathroom and turned on the switch. He immediately regretted it as the light shot more pain through his head. He rubbed at his eyes until the sensation lessened and then started cleaning up. He saw the toothbrush that Nicky had used leaning side by side with his own.</p><p>
  <em>Is this what it would be like if he lived with me?</em>
</p><p>Joe immediately squashed the thought. The fact that Nicky was even here was a miracle and he didn’t want to tempt fate by wishing for too much. He considered taking a shower but then remembered Nicky saying that the food was almost ready. So he quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face before heading back out.</p><p>When he left the bathroom, his nose fully registered the smell coming from the kitchen. It smelled amazing but he couldn’t figure out what it was. The table had already been set for two and a steaming cup of coffee was waiting for him. Joe sat down with relief and immediately wrapped his hands around the hot mug.</p><p>“Have I told you that you are literally an angel incarnate?” Then Joe took a slow sip of the fragrant beverage. His head already started to feel better.</p><p>Nicky laughed while stirring something over the stove. “I’m glad that my efforts are on the mark. I’m sorry but I kind of rummaged all over the kitchen. I should have asked first but you were still sleeping."</p><p>“You have nothing to be sorry for!” exclaimed Joe. “If anything, I’m the one who is sorry. You brought me back home and now you are still taking care of me.”</p><p>Nicky started plating the breakfast and then brought it over to the table. He went back to the sink to wash his hands one more time before he also sat down. “Your fridge and pantry were kind of bare so I got a little creative. Hopefully eating something a bit heavier should help with the hangover.”</p><p>Joe looked down at his plate and saw what looked like a flat layer of egg twisted into a spiral over a mound of filling. There was a reddish sauce that smelled faintly of tomatoes and soy sauce that was poured over the side.</p><p>“What is this?” asked Joe.</p><p>“It’s called a Korean Tornado Omelette. I saw it on YouTube the other day and you had the basic ingredients. So I thought I would try it out.” Nicky was already digging in and eating his portion.</p><p>Joe picked up his spoon and broke into the soft eggy layer. He was almost sorry to ruin the beautiful swirl pattern on top. Inside was a mixture of fried rice, potatoes, and onion. The wonderful aroma of the rice mixture made his mouth salivate in anticipation. He picked up some of the red sauce as well and ate it in one big bite.</p><p>Joe had to close his eyes as the delicious mixture was chewed carefully. The sauce was a little tangy but also sweet with definite notes of ketchup, soy sauce and…maybe Worcestershire sauce? He asked Nicky about his guess and was rewarded with a happy grin.</p><p>“I took inspiration from Carlos and I raided your condiments. I think it turned out okay.”</p><p>Waving his spoon emphatically, Joe gestured toward the plate. “It’s better than okay! You cooked it down until it has almost caramelized! And the egg is so fluffy! And the rice mix is mild but not boring. I can’t believe you made this with my random leftover ingredients!”</p><p>Joe ate the meal with such enthusiasm that it made Nicky glad he had tried making something new. It had been a very long time since he had cooked for just one person and he had forgotten how enjoyable it was. Seeing Joe's reaction was more filling than the food itself.</p><p>After he was done eating, Joe bowed his head in a slightly dramatic fashion to express his gratitude. “Thank you for everything. Bringing me home, cooking this delicious meal, everything. Even my headache feels much better.”</p><p>“It was my pleasure.” He got up to take away the dirty dishes but Joe waved him away.</p><p>“Oh no, you don’t. You cooked the meal, so I get clean up. Go and sit on the couch and I will be done in a jiffy.”</p><p>So Nicky picked up his unfinished coffee and settled on the couch. He looked around and saw a large flat screen TV on the wall facing him. The large windows on his left looked out toward the city and in the distance he could see trees where a park was located. There were landscape paintings and framed portraits on the walls and he wondered if Joe had drawn them. He took a few slow sips of his coffee as he contemplate the various art pieces.</p><p>“I think you have ruined me,” said Joe as he sat on the couch beside Nicky. He had finished cleaning up in record time. “Because now I need to wake up every morning to you making me breakfast.”</p><p>Nicky also enjoyed the thought as his face flushed red with pleasure. When he had woken up this morning, he had still been in Joe’s arms. He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so well. It had been hard to leave the warmth but he had wanted to prepare food in case Joe woke up hungover and hungry. And now sitting side by side on the couch beside him, Nicky couldn’t believe this was actually happening.</p><p>When Nicky didn’t respond except blush, Joe rubbed the back of his neck in slight apprehension. “Um so…I was wondering…I don’t remember last night very well. Did I do anything inappropriate?”</p><p>When Nicky blushed even harder, Joe panicked slightly. “Oh crap, Nicky I’m so sorry.  Whatever I did, I’m so very-"</p><p>“No, it’s really okay!” Nicky put his hand over Joe’s leg to stop him from assuming the worst. “I took you to your bed and I was about to get you some water. Then you-" Nicky paused slightly at the memory. “You pulled me into the bed and hugged me. But that was it…we just hugged. And we fell asleep.”</p><p>“And are you okay with that?”</p><p>Nicky looked up in surprise. Joe's face was serious and he was looking very intently at Nicky. “Yes. I mean, I’ve never fallen asleep like that with someone before but…”</p><p>When Joe looked questioningly at his statement, Nicky groaned mentally and realized he probably sounded as confusing as drunken Joe did last night.</p><p>
  <em>This is all going so fast. But…I just want to be honest with him. And myself.</em>
</p><p>With that thought, Nicky took his hand away from Joe and folded them over his lap. He immediately regretted the loss of contact.</p><p>“Joe…can I ask you a question?”</p><p>“Of course you can. Anything.”</p><p>Nicky looked down at his hands and wrung them together a bit. “Am I correct in thinking that there is something between us?”</p><p>Joe looked surprised at the direct question. But then he quickly recovered. “If you are asking me if I am attracted to you, then the answer is yes.” Joe looked at Nicky with those intense eyes again. “How do you feel about me?”</p><p>Nicky paused a bit as he considered his answer. But when he spoke, his voice was sure and clear. “I feel the same.”</p><p>Joe let out a breath that he had not realized he was holding. Then a wide smile broke out over his handsome face. But it faltered when he saw the cloudy look that was spreading over Nicky. “What's wrong?”</p><p>Nicky was struggling to get his words together. Luckily for him, Joe was a patient man. After a few minutes of silence, Nicky finally spoke up.</p><p>“When you were growing up, did you ever watch any movies and think, why does the gay characters always die?”</p><p>Joe blinked a few times in silence. But then he nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it was always something horrible or tragic.”</p><p>“Or their partner dies,” said Nicky.</p><p>“Or they both die.”</p><p>Nicky gestured his hands up in frustration. “Yes! And it always made me think, how come-"</p><p>“We never get any happy endings?” said Joe.</p><p>Nicky looked at Joe with an expression that was hard to describe. “Exactly.” Then he picked at his shirt sleeve in an absent-minded manner. “And I grew up in an Italian Catholic family. Talks about liking other boys didn’t come up in conversation at the dinner table.”</p><p>Joe nodded in solidarity. “It wasn’t something that came up in my family dinner table either. But then I never tried when I was young.”</p><p>Nicky nodded. “Same. So I didn’t grow up feeling really hopeful about my situation. Then Booker and Emily…” He paused again in thought. “I felt like I was living vicariously through their happiness. Something that I couldn’t hope to achieve. Then when they started falling apart…it made me even more cynical. I saw so many relationships break down under the stress of this industry, so I wasn’t optimistic about my chances.”</p><p>Joe leaned in closer and gently laid his hand on Nicky's knee. “But you know it’s not all failures. There are people out there who are happy and also successful.”</p><p>Sighing heavily, Nicky nodded in acknowledgement. “I know. But I just never had enough confidence that I could pull it off. I had convinced myself it was a race I was doomed to lose, so why even start?” He turned his gaze toward the windows. “So I’ve only had casual encounters. Most of my energy was spent in building Ricordi and making sure my staff were taken care of.” Then Nicky turned back to Joe. “Well, then you showed up.”</p><p>Joe couldn’t stop the grin that escaped past his lips. “Oh? What did I do?”</p><p>“Not much,” laughed Nicky. “Just endlessly charming, funny, hardworking…and taking your clothes off in my office.”</p><p>Joe smiled even wider at this answer. “I’m glad you enjoyed that.”</p><p>Nicky returned the smile briefly before it faltered again. “But when I think about how it’s only been two weeks since we met, I can’t help but feel unsure. I keep wondering, what do you want from me?”</p><p>Slowly, Nicky overlapped his hand over the one Joe had placed on his knee. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke. “There’s something about you that I can’t quite put my finger on. Something familiar. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and I’m scared you'll be disappointed when you realize how empty I am inside.”</p><p>Joe took those words in and felt an ache in his chest. It seemed crazy to him that someone as incredible as Nicky could feel this way. He wanted to show Nicky what a wonderful and giving person he was. When Joe thought about what he should say in response, he made up his mind on what he had to do.</p><p>“Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Then Joe got up and went upstairs to the bedroom. He opened the bedside drawer and took out the wooden box that was inside. He carried it carefully back to the living room and set it on the coffee table. Then he took a deep breath.</p><p>“So I’ve been wrestling with how to tell you this. It’s not that I was trying to hide it but I wasn’t sure how to tell you without sounding like a creepy stalker.”</p><p>Then Joe started telling Nicky about what happened two years ago. About how he had worked day and night for a career that had proved soul crushing. Marcus leaving him and his emotional outburst at work that led to his resignation. How he had wandered the streets aimlessly until going into Ricordi on a whim. The plate of ravioli. The umbrella and the note. And most importantly, the kindness of a stranger who had lifted his spirits when he felt like his world was ending.</p><p>Joe told Nicky of how he decided to take a new venture in life with the hope that someday, he could meet this chef and thank him for his compassion. But not as a customer. Joe wanted to be standing in the same world as him.</p><p>Throughout the whole time, Nicky sat incredibly still and listened with rapt attention. Joe couldn’t figure out if he was shocked or disbelieving.</p><p>“I know this is a lot to process,” said Joe. “And it’s been two years so I doubt you even remember-”</p><p>Nicky interrupted Joe mid-sentence. “No, I do remember.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Chef?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nicky looked up and saw Ian standing by the line. He looked worried. “What’s going on?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ian looked over his shoulder at the corner booth. “I have a guest who is here alone and seems to be in distress. He’s been sitting there for over 30 minutes without even opening the menu.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He put his knife down and looked around Ian at the customer in question. The angle was such that he couldn’t see the man’s face in full view. But what Nicky could see was the line of his body and the tilt of his head. Everything screamed at him of a person in despair. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Does he seem like he came from the streets?” asked Nicky. Sometimes they had people coming in to get warmth from the cold. He did what he could for them but they usually needed more help than just a warm meal. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No, I don’t think so,” replied Ian. “He’s wearing a pretty nice looking suit although it’s soaked from the rain. But something must have happened to him. What do you think we should do?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nicky started to weigh his options. He decided the first thing he could do was make something for the guest to eat. He turned to Carlos. “Hey, I’m going to do a custom order for table 15.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Sure thing, boss.” Carlos turned around and started barking orders to give Nicky time to cook. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The first thing he did was grab a pan off the rack and put it on the flames. Then he took a spoonful of sage infused butter and dropped it in. Once it was melted, he added a dollop of the diced shallots and minced garlic that had been soaking in olive oil. Once it heated to his satisfaction, he poured the house made cream sauce into the pan and mixed it together. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As the sauce cooked, he turned around and opened the prep fridge under the counter. He pulled out a pre-portioned amount of fresh ravioli filled with butternut squash, Rogue River Blue Cheese, and a dash of nutmeg. He placed the ravioli into the waiting basket of boiling water and stirred the sauce continuously as it thickened and turned slightly brown. Once the ravioli was done cooking, he shook the excess water off and carefully poured the pasta into the waiting sauce pan. It took a few more minutes to heat it to his liking and then he placed the ravioli into a hot plate. A few turns of the cheese grinder and pepper then he motioned Ian over to his side.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Take this to him. Tell him it’s on the house.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ian nodded and took the plate away. Nicky watched as the waiter approached the guest. He couldn’t make out what was happening but waved to Ian again once he was back from delivering the plate.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Did he say anything?” asked Nicky.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ian shrugged. “He was surprised to see the food but he was eating it. Looked like he was enjoying it too.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Good.” Then he remembered what Ian had said about the guest’s suit. “Did you say he got caught in the rain?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, it does look like it.” Ian pointed to the windows. “And unfortunately, it’s still raining.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Without hesitating, Nicky turned back to Carlos. “Hey, I gotta go get something. Hold the line.” Then he ran as fast as he could to his office. He started rummaging in his drawer for the extra umbrella he kept there for emergencies. Then he found the blank cards he used to write thank you notes and wrote a message for his guest. Nicky hoped he wasn’t being too intrusive but he felt this incredible need to do something for this sad man. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He ran back down to the main floor and handed the note and umbrella to Ian. “Please give him this too.” The waiter nodded and left to deliver the items. Nicky tried to see what was happening when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Andy standing beside him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hey Nicky, sorry to interrupt but Mr. Forester is on the phone. He said he needs to talk to you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He cursed under his breath for the bad timing. Under any other circumstances, Nicky loved speaking with the owner. Mr. Forester was like a grandfather to him and Nicky had so much admiration for the octogenarian. But the timing was really poor. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Hey, Carlos. I gotta go talk to Mr. Forester. Hold the line.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You got it.” Carlos didn’t miss a beat and kept on giving out orders to the rest of the cooks.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nicky ran to this office as fast as he could. He picked up his office phone and tried not to sound out of breath as he spoke. After about 20 minutes of questions and answers, he was able to run back. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Everything okay?” panted Nicky. He hoped he didn’t have to run up those stairs again for a bit.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No, everything went to shit,” deadpanned Carlos. He waved to the kitchen and the main floor. “We should start evacuating the building now.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With a laugh, Nicky slapped Carlos on the shoulder in gratitude. “Thanks, buddy. I knew I could depend on you.” Then he spotted Ian again and beckoned him over. “So what happened? Is he still here?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ian shifted side to side with a bit of discomfort showing on his face. “Sorry Nicky, but he left just a minute ago.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He couldn’t help but be disappointed. Nicky had hoped maybe he could talk to the man and see if there was anything he could do for him. “Did he say anything?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Well…he liked the food and I gave him the umbrella and the note per your request. But…” Ian hesitated.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“But what?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“When he got your note, he started to cry.” The waiter looked apologetic as Nicky’s face crumpled with sadness. “But I think he was crying because he was happy. He told me to tell you that he was really grateful. That he didn’t know how he was going to get through tonight but you gave him hope.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nicky sighed and thanked Ian for his efforts. It relieved him that maybe he had made a difference for this stranger. Whatever despair that man was experiencing, Nicky hoped that it would pass soon. He turned back to his station and let the evening flow envelop him again.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Joe sat in shock while he listened to Nicky’s story. He couldn’t believe that after so long, Nicky remembered the whole event. Every detail. He honestly didn’t know what to say.</p><p>“This explains what you said last night. I was confused and I thought you were just being drunk, but it makes sense now,” muttered Nicky.</p><p>This statement made Joe pull back a bit in trepidation. “What did I say last night?”</p><p>“You said that you always dreamt of me without a face. Because the first time you met me, you had only seen my back and my tattoo.” Nicky pointed to his arm. “But then you said that was how you knew it was me when we met again at the job interview.”</p><p>With embarrassment coloring his cheeks, Joe buried his face in his hands. “I really hope I didn’t say what I was dreaming about.”</p><p>“Oh?” Nicky grinned. “Were you having a particular kind of dream about me?”</p><p>“Please don’t ask me that right now.” Joe pleaded. Then his face got serious again and he picked up the wooden box. “Here, you can open it.”</p><p>Nicky looked at the box that was presented to him. It was made from a dark colored wood and the metal hinges gleamed brightly. He carefully opened it and found his old umbrella and note inside. He looked up at Joe with awe. “You kept it.”</p><p>“Of course I did. Every time I was feeling down or the Academy was kicking my ass, I would look at this to give myself strength.” Joe picked up the umbrella. “Would you like it back?”</p><p>Shaking his head in a firm refusal, Nicky put the umbrella back into the box. “No, that was a gift to you. I’m glad that you were able to get home safely.”</p><p>Joe took back the box and placed it back on the coffee table. Then he moved closer to Nicky and gently took his hands and held them. “It breaks my heart that you think of yourself being unable to care for someone. That you felt you had to make a choice between your career or having a meaningful relationship. But I want you to know that you are not empty inside.”</p><p>Joe laced his fingers through Nicky’s and looked into his eyes. “You are the kindest, the most generous person I know. Carlos and Nile told me about how you saved them. But you also did the same for me. I can’t even imagine what my life would be like now if I hadn’t gone into Ricordi that rainy day.” Joe took a deep breath and slowly let it out.</p><p>“As for your previous question of what I want from you…it’s not what you had before. I don’t want a casual encounter. I don’t want a fling. I know this might sound crazy because you’ve only known me for two weeks but for me, I dreamt of you for two years.” Joe slowly lifted Nicky’s hands and kissed the fingertips. “You are even more incredible than I have imagined and I want everything you would be willing to give me.”</p><p>Nicky sucked in a sharp breath and held it. All he could do was drown in Joe’s eyes as his words washed over him like warm summer rain. Never in his life had he ever expected to hear such a confession of feelings for him. It was almost too much and it rendered him mute and unable to formulate an answer.</p><p>Undeterred, Joe smiled and let go of Nicky’s hands. “I know this is a lot to understand. All I can ask is that you take the time to think about it. Is it okay for me to ask that?”</p><p>Nicky nodded. He wanted to say something but his mouth felt so dry and useless. So many conflicting emotions swirled inside his head. Two years? Joe had been thinking of that night and him for two years? The thought was overwhelming.</p><p>They sat there for a few silent moments before Joe got up. “Come on, I’ll walk you to the subway station. You probably want to head home and get cleaned up.”</p><p>With stiff muscles protesting, Nicky got up and nodded in agreement. He went and gathered his belongings as Joe retrieved his phone and keys. They left the apartment and started walking down the street in silence.</p><p>Periodically, Nicky would sneak glances at Joe but the other man seemed occupied in his own thoughts. A few times, his hand had brushed against Joe as they walked and the sensation jolted Nicky’s senses. It seemed surreal that just last night, he had thought of Joe as the appealing new intern and not much more.</p><p>But that wasn’t really true. Nicky had always noticed something about Joe right from the beginning. When he thought about how Joe felt familiar, perhaps a part of his brain had memorized the silhouette of the sad man sitting at table 15 that fateful night. Something that had embedded deeply into his heart.</p><p>After about a ten minute walk, they were descending down the stairs to enter the subway. Joe paid for both of them as they went through the turnstile. He checked the signs and led Nicky to another set of stairs to the correct platform. Once they got to the right floor, they waited in amiable silence for the train to come.</p><p>It didn’t take long before one was arriving. The loud clattering of the metal wheels on track started getting louder and louder until with a blast of air, the train entered the station and started to slow down to a halt. The doors opened as the automated voice started calling out the station name and cautioned passengers to mind the gap when entering or exiting. Nicky stepped into the train and turned around to see Joe giving him a small wave of farewell. He stood there frozen in place as the train announced that the door would start closing.</p><p>The doors were going to close. And that meant Nicky would be leaving Joe behind.</p><p>
  <em>But I don’t want to leave. </em>
</p><p>As the electronic doors started to close, Nicky rushed through the closing gap and thrust his body out of the train. He stumbled and Joe caught him before he hit the ground. He was breathing hard from his sudden movement as Joe pulled him up to a standing position.</p><p>“Nicky, what’s wrong? Why did you leave the train?”</p><p>He stared at Joe and tried to formulate his words. After a few attempts he managed to say something coherent. “You’ve already started the race without me.”</p><p>Joe looked puzzled for a moment before he remembered what Nicky had said about love being a race he was meant to lose. “Yes, I have.”</p><p>“But how do I catch up when you are already so far ahead?” Nicky gripped tightly onto Joe’s arms. “How do I even get on to the starting line?”</p><p>A warm glow started to fill Joe as he took in Nicky’s words. He looked down at the ground. “I think you already got on the line.”</p><p>Nicky looked down and saw the white line that was under his feet. It was the marker that warned passengers from getting too close to the train. But he had leapt across it as though his body didn’t even register the danger.</p><p>“Besides,” continued Joe. “You don’t have to worry about catching up to me.” He cupped his right hand around Nicky’s face and smiled so tenderly. “I will be waiting for you as long as it takes.”</p><p>Then Joe started to lean into Nicky to close the gap. He hesitated for a moment but Nicky took that second to meet him in the middle. Their lips pressed together and Joe closed his eyes and he breathed in the smell that was Nicky’s alone. His hands shifted to the back of Nicky’s neck and they both angled their faces to deepen the kiss even further. He wasn’t sure how long it lasted but when they finally broke away to gasp in oxygen, both were flushed and glassy eyed.</p><p>Their tender moment was sadly interrupted by the blaring of the speakers announcing another train was arriving. Nicky ducked his head shyly as he realized there were other people on the platform staring at them. Joe chuckled a little as Nicky tried to bury his face into Joe’s chest.</p><p>“So since you dived so gracefully out of that train, would it be okay for me to ask you out on a date?”</p><p>Nicky laughed at how casual Joe had made this request. As if they hadn’t just been kissing as though the rest of the world had fallen away from them.</p><p>“Yes, I think I would like that.” Nicky smiled so brightly that he thought his cheeks would stretch out.</p><p>Joe took his hand and they started making their way back up the stairs. “Okay, what would you like to do?”</p><p>Nicky thought for a moment before he said the first thing that came to his mind. “We should go grocery shopping.”</p><p>Surprised, Joe stopped and looked at Nicky. “Grocery shopping?”</p><p>“Yes. Did you forget how empty your refrigerator is?”</p><p>Even after what had just happened, Nicky still managed to keep him on this toes. Joe was still trying to fully process what was happening but all his heart could feel was an overwhelming flush of joy. He never wanted this feeling to stop.</p><p>“All right. Let’s go shopping.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A few notes:</p><p>- I am fully convinced that Nicky is the type of person who would appreciate nice paper and write hand written notes. That is why he liked the type of paper that Joe used for his resume.</p><p>- the Korean Tornado Omelette is a real thing. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uXi8BE7Wo0">Here is a video of how to make it.</a> The sauce I described though was something Nicky really did throw together with what he could find. </p><p>- The Rogue River Blue Cheese is also real. I had to throw in my Oregon pride here because that cheese won Best Cheese in the World for 2019 at Bergamo, Italy. </p><p>Thank you for all the wonderful feedback. Sorry for the delayed chapter due to real life getting busy! The chapters have been getting longer too! You can find me at <a href="https://kiaya.tumblr.com/">my Tumblr page</a>. Let me know if you have any questions!</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Spaghetti Foreplay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Dedicating this chapter to <a href="https://scimitar-and-longsword.tumblr.com/">Lolo</a> for her belated birthday present. Sorry it took a while but I hope you like it. Would Primo approve the chapter title? 😁😁😁</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Joe still couldn’t believe what was happening.</p>
<p>If somebody had told him 24 hours ago that the man of his dreams would be holding his hand while they moved through the giant farmer’s market, Joe would have said they were drunk. But that was exactly what was happening. They were at Saint Anne’s Market which was located not too far from Joe’s apartment. It had a sprawling structure that supported business all year round along with an outdoor area that was bustling with customer in the warmer months. It turned out that Nicky had never been to it although he had always want to go.</p>
<p>When they first stepped into the building, Nicky was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place. The ceilings were cathedral high and there were so many vendors that he couldn’t see the end. Every smell imaginable was hitting his senses and he didn’t know where to start. He looked at Joe in panic and excitement.</p>
<p>“Where should we start?” asked Nicky. He pointed to the map that was displayed by the entrance. “I don’t even know where to begin.”</p>
<p>Joe picked up one of the maps that were provided for free and opened it. “The main floor has most of the fresh grocery items. But the downstairs and upstairs has a lot of the food stands and restaurants. We could start there and sample some of the wares if you like.”</p>
<p>His eyes widening in surprise, Nicky looked at the map. “There’s multiple floors?” He pointed to the downstairs area. “Oh! I want to go there and see that!”</p>
<p>And so they did. The market was extremely diverse in its offerings and you could be eating Jamaican beef patties in one stall then nibbling on New Orleans beignets next. Even though they had a late breakfast not that long ago, Nicky’s appetite to try new things was a bottomless pit. As Joe was licking powdered sugar from his fingers, he gave Nicky a quizzical look. “How is that someone who loves food as much as you have not made it out to Saint Anne’s?”</p>
<p>“I feel terrible saying this but I just didn’t have the time. Or at least in my head, I told myself I didn’t have the time.” Nicky finished off the last of the beignets and looked around all the stalls in marvel. “Now I am totally regretting that decisions.”</p>
<p>Joe handed him a wet napkin to wipe his sticky fingers. “Well then I’m glad that I am the person who brought you here. Don’t worry about trying to see everything because that’s impossible on just one trip.”</p>
<p>“Are you offering to bring me here on another date?” Nicky asked coyly.</p>
<p>“I’m not offering.” Joe saw the small smudge of powdered sugar by Nicky’s mouth. He leaned in and licked it off playfully. “I’m guaranteeing.”</p>
<p>Nicky blushed at Joe’s actions and couldn’t help himself from grinning like an idiot. Then they held hands again as Joe led him further into the almost endless amount of food vendors. After trying out a couple more dishes, Nicky said he was full and couldn’t eat another bite. They made their way back up to the main floor to start buying grocery for Joe’s extremely depleted fridge.</p>
<p>To his surprise, Nicky saw that Saint Anne’s also had a few run of the mill grocery stores. He had expected mostly specialty items and seasonal goods but that wasn’t the case. Refrigerators full of milk, eggs, and other usual staples were displayed side by side with freshly caught seafood that had just arrived from Tokyo. They grabbed a few baskets and started filling it with some basic ingredients along with a few interesting items for dinner.</p>
<p>It was strange that it didn’t feel awkward. Joe had been on quite a few first dates and this was nothing like anything he had experienced. The conversation around how to pick the freshest vegetables to what wine would pair the best with fresh halibut flowed so easily between them. Even side stepping crowds and holding on to each other’s elbows so they don’t get separated felt as natural as it could. The easy smiles. The brushing of lips along cheeks when the other was looking elsewhere. It felt so right.</p>
<p>They had talked back and forth about what to make for dinner. Joe had loved the rice dish that Nicky had made in the morning and asked if he could eat another one. The head chef thought for a few moments before he spotted a large basket of freshly foraged mushrooms. “How does wild mushroom risotto sound to you?”</p>
<p>Joe enthusiastically nodded his head yes and immediately grabbed an empty carton to fill it with their newfound treasures. Nicky tried not to laugh as he watched Joe haggle with the vendor good heartedly over the price of the wares. It mostly involved Joe singing praises to her beauty and her kind heart. How she wouldn’t allow him to become destitute because he couldn’t resist buying everything she had to offer. The lady in question, who was probably old enough to be his grandmother, made a noise of dismissal at his wicked tongue and wouldn’t budge from the price. But she ended up giving Joe an extra handful of mushrooms anyways.</p>
<p>As Joe hummed in pleasure as they walked away, Nicky laughed and looked back at the old lady. She waved at them in a pleasant farewell. “Is this a normal outing for you?”</p>
<p>“Hmm yes, Mrs. Smythe and I have a mutual understanding. She breaks my heart because she won’t budge from her listed price but then gives me a freebie scoop because she pities my feeble attempts at flattery.” Joe flashed Nicky a bright smile. “But don’t you worry because my heart only belongs to you.”</p>
<p>To be honest, Nicky didn’t think he could have withstood Joe’s charms like Mrs. Smythe had. Just one flash of those dimples and crinkled smiling eyes and Nicky would have sold the whole damn lot for free.</p>
<p>After they determined they couldn’t possibly carry anymore, they left the market and started their way back to Joe’s apartment. It was only about a 15 minute walk and there was so many interesting sights along with way. Nicky lived in the northern part of the city and hadn’t had as much excuse to come along the former industrial area in a while. He loved all the small shops that mingled easily with art galleries and busy cafes. Somehow it fit Joe so perfectly that Nicky couldn’t see him living anywhere else.</p>
<p>Once they got back to the apartment and put all the food away, they decided that they didn’t need to seek out lunch because they were full from the market. Nicky looked outside the large windows and shyly asked, “Would it be okay if we explored a bit more? I haven’t been here in ages and so much has changed.”</p>
<p>Joe perked up at the suggestion. “Of course! I would love to show you around.”</p>
<p>So they set out again and explored even further. The first place that Joe took him to was a local art gallery. Nicky didn’t know much about art but as they walked around the various paintings and sculptures, he was impressed by the variety of colors and styles displayed. Then one of the gallery employees saw Joe and they struck up a lively conversation and it was obvious to Nicky that they knew each other. He held back a bit but then once Joe noticed his hesitancy, he reached for Nicky’s hand and pulled him back closer.</p>
<p>“And this is Nicky,” beamed Joe. “Nicky, meet my friend Clara. She runs this gallery and studio.”</p>
<p>“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nicky.” They woman held out her perfectly manicured hand in greeting. Nicky took it and shook it gently.</p>
<p>“The pleasure is mine. This is an amazing space. I’m glad Joe decided to bring me here.”</p>
<p>She smiled happily and clapped her hands in pure glee. “That makes me so happy to hear. Please take your time and look to your hearts content.” Then she tapped Joe on the shoulder. “And your painting is still in the back so no worries. I know you’ve been busy but I am excited to see when you finish.” With that, she waved her goodbye and left to go greet another patron.</p>
<p>Nicky turned in surprise. “A painting?”</p>
<p>Looking a bit sheepish, Joe rubbed the back of his neck shyly. “I rent space here in the studio for when I want to paint something bigger. Or if I am using certain materials. My loft doesn’t have the proper ventilation for that.”</p>
<p>“Can I see it?”</p>
<p>He still looked a bit shy but Joe quietly took Nicky’s hand and led him towards the back of the building. He opened a door that had the words “Private Studio” on the front. Once inside, Nicky was amazed at how large the space was. He didn’t realize that the building was this big from the entry way. There were large windows and multiple skylights that let natural light in. There were shelves of supplies along one wall and a large basin sink to wash off any tools. Several artists who were already here waved to them in a friendly manner. Joe moved to the furthest left corner of the room and came to a stop in front of a large canvas.</p>
<p>It was about 10 feet wide and 7 feet tall. Nicky was not versed in art materials but it looked like an oil painting to him. He could tell that it wasn’t complete but what he did see took his breath away.</p>
<p>It was a landscape. Specifically it was of a modern port city with the ruins of a much older one looking over it. The waters of the ocean was an incredible mixture of blues and greens done in such a way that defied his understanding. Nicky looked at Joe in awe.</p>
<p>“This is amazing. Where is this?” Nicky asked with a wondrous tone in his voice.</p>
<p>“It’s Carthage. Back home in Tunisia.” Joe pointed to the ruins that he was still capturing in paint. “My parents are both history professors so we used to visit ruins and archaeological digs a lot. Unfortunately, I was still really young when we left so this is from a photo that my mom took.”</p>
<p>“Are you almost done?” asked Nicky.</p>
<p>Joe shook his head no. “I probably need another few weeks with it. But I’ve been busy with school and now the internship so this will have to wait.”</p>
<p>Stepping a little closer to the canvas, Nicky looked at the small brushstrokes that somehow from afar, made an image that his brain recognized as rocky hills and bleached white buildings. “Did you go to school for this?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m completely self-trained. Having teachers telling me what to draw and how to paint would suck all the joy out.” Joe shrugged in reply. “I didn’t get a lot of chances to paint during my hedge fund days so whenever I could, I wanted to do things freely.”</p>
<p>Nicky shook his head in confusion. “But if you have this much talent, why did you go into finance in the first place? From what you told me, you didn’t even like it that much.”</p>
<p>A small bitter laugh escaped past Joe’s lips. What Nicky said was true. He had enjoyed the thrill of success by overcoming challenges but it had not given him joy like his art and cooking did. He took Nicky’s hand again as though to comfort himself.</p>
<p>“It’s kind of complicated,” replied Joe. Then he was lost in thought. Nicky waited patiently for Joe to start talking again. “My dad passed away from cancer when I was 18 years old.”</p>
<p>Nicky gasped and tugged at Joe’s hand in surprise. “I’m so sorry, Joe. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” He stepped closer to Joe and placed his arm tentatively around his waist. “I don’t mean to pry.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s really okay.” Joe smiled and hugged Nicky back. “Before he passed, he asked me to take care of my sister Yasmine and my mom.” He suddenly laughed and laid his forehead against Nicky’s as to ground himself even further. “The funny thing was that we both knew that they were fully capable of taking care of themselves.”</p>
<p>“If they are anything like you, I am sure they are wonderful,” Nicky said with a softness in his voice that made Joe feel a lot calmer.</p>
<p>“They are pretty cool, although I am probably biased.” Joe looked back at the painting. “My parents met in England while they were still students. Growing up, we travelled a lot and sometimes money was kind of tight. So when my dad asked me to take care of the family, I immediately thought of making sure we were financially sound.” He looked down at the ground in embarrassment. “I know it sound so silly but to an 18 year old, I felt like I had to step up and be the man of the house. You know?”</p>
<p>Nicky nodded. “I understand. You wanted to protect them.”</p>
<p>“Exactly. And I didn’t want my family to go through the lean years we had when I was younger. So although I loved art and creating with my hands, it felt too unstable. So my plan was to pick a field where I could make a lot of money in a fairly short amount of time. That way my family was secure and maybe I could do something artistic again. But…”</p>
<p>Joe shook his head in disgust and had to gather his thoughts. “I had so many people naysaying me and not believing I could do it. Not my family of course but pretty much everyone else. I guess that gave me a bit of a chip on my shoulder. Then I got caught up in the rat race and I totally lost sight of why I had gotten into that industry in the first place.”</p>
<p>Slowly, Nicky took Joe’s face in both his hands and gently stroked his cheeks. “But you found yourself again. You’re here now doing the things you love instead of what you thought you had to do.”</p>
<p>“And all it took was me rage quitting and a really good plate of ravioli,” snickered Joe. When Nicky laughed at his response, Joe pulled him closer so he could kiss that smiling mouth. They pulled apart when a few giggles came from the other artists in the room. Nicky blushed a bit while Joe winked at their audience.</p>
<p>“Come on, I got lots of other stuff to show you.” He took Nicky’s hand and led him out of the studio. Clara waved to them both as they exited the building and continued walking down the street.</p>
<p>Joe took Nicky to many of his favorite haunts. The neighborhood café that prided itself on having the grumpiest baristas. The used bookstore that Joe had no idea how they stayed financially afloat. The restaurant supply store that he had to drag Nicky away from or he would end up buying half their items. Not to mention pointing out all the bars and restaurants that he promised they would need to visit in due time. Everywhere they went, Nicky enjoyed it so much that he began to understand why Nile teased him constantly for his workaholic ways. He loved his work but that had obviously come at a price.</p>
<p>But as they were both walking through the park that Nicky spotted from Joe’s apartment, he started re-arranging his priorities. Yes, work was important and his duty to the staff was unquestionable. But as he looked at Joe while they sat on a lovely park bench, Nicky thought to himself how much he had been missing from life. In just one day, Joe had somehow tossed everything upside down in the best possible way.</p>
<p>They ended up staying at that park for over an hour to just talk. Any and every topic was discussed. It was quickly discovered that they both loved sci-fi and fantasy movies. Joe’s taste in music was extremely eclectic and he teased Nicky for his love of sappy pop songs. They both agreed that pineapple could belong on a pizza and there was nothing like snuggling under warm blankets with a good book when it was cold and rainy. Both families were first generation immigrants and Joe and Nicky discussed the trials and tribulations of straddling the new country with the old one.</p>
<p>The whole experience felt so surreal to Nicky. How was it that he could connect with a person so intrinsically in such a short amount of time? Even when he had met Booker in culinary school, it took a few months before they were becoming good friends. With Joe, the connection felt almost instant. Although they had spent all day talking, it was still not enough. Nicky wanted to know more about Joe and it seemed the feeling was mutual.</p>
<p>Then Joe’s stomach growled and Nicky burst out laughing. “Is it time for us to get back and make dinner?”</p>
<p>“You realize this is your fault, right?” asked Joe indignantly. “My stomach has been looking forward to your cooking since the market.”</p>
<p>Still laughing, Nicky got up from the bench and offered his hand to Joe. “Come on, then. Let’s head back and we can cook together.”</p>
<p>It didn’t take very long to get back to the apartment. Once inside, Nicky started the prep needed for the risotto. Joe was ready to help and they worked side by side to get all the ingredients ready. It was especially enjoyable to Joe because they hadn’t had a real chance to cook together at the restaurant. He had watched Nicky during the dinner services but most of his time had been with Nile. So it surprised him how fluid everything was. The kitchen itself was not that large but they never tripped over each other. As Nicky gave instructions in his usual calm manner, Joe was able to follow them in perfectly synced timing. It felt as though they were dancing instead of cooking.</p>
<p>Thankfully for Joe’s stomach, the meal didn’t take very long to cook. He set out all the tableware while Nicky added the last sprinkling of cheese before bringing the plates over. He set it down and Joe immediately started salivating. The smell of the morel and porcini mushrooms hit his nose like hammers. He looked at Nicky as if to ask permission to start eating and picked up his spoon when he saw the other man nod.</p>
<p>He knew this was considered a simpler style of dish but just like Nicky’s ravioli, the flavors defied the short list of ingredients. Maybe it was the techniques used but Nicky always had a knack of elevating everything that he made. The earthy taste of the wild mushrooms paired with the sweet cream and white wine delicately coated every grain of rice.</p>
<p>Nicky watched him eat and couldn’t stop the bursts of pleasure that exploded in his chest from the sight. Joe’s face was an open canvas of emotion as he enjoyed every bite. He had forgotten how long it had been since he had cooked for someone while not at the restaurant. Usually after a workday, Nicky would come home, clean up, and almost immediately pass out. Most nights that he did cook was just for himself and it was a bit of a lonely affair.</p>
<p>
  <em>Maybe that’s why I’m struggling so much with my book.</em>
</p>
<p>With that thought, a jolt went through Nicky. How could he have been so stupid? The whole reason he had started cooking as a child was because of his grandmother. While both of his parents had been working day and night, it had been his grandmother who had shown him the joy in cooking for others. She would not approve of him agonizing over every dish by himself. So he made a decision on the spot.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you a question?” Nicky didn’t know why but he suddenly felt nervous.</p>
<p>Joe looked up from the plate and gave him a curious look. “Certainly.”</p>
<p>“Did I ever mention that I’m working on a cookbook?” Nicky saw the look of surprise on Joe’s face so that gave him the answer. “Well, it’s been about a year and sadly, I haven’t made much progress. Cooking tonight with you and watching you eat, I think I just realized why.”</p>
<p>“Do you need a guinea pig?” Joe pointed to himself eagerly. “Because if you need a taste tester, I’m your man.”</p>
<p>Nicky laughed at the guinea pig comment. “Something like that.” Then his face got a bit more serious. “I started this project so that my grandmother’s recipes wouldn’t be forgotten. Since she left them for my safekeeping, I thought I should work on it by myself. But-” He stopped and rolled the words around his tongue. “Cooking with you made me realize how much I missed making something at home. She taught me that feeding those you love is one of life’s greatest joys…and I’ve been lacking that since I’ve been alone for so long.”</p>
<p>When Joe didn’t respond, Nicky looked up and saw that his eyes were wide in surprise. Then Nicky realized he had just used words like home and love and…</p>
<p>His face burst into a furious blush and as he tried to recover. “Ah, I mean, not that I’m saying this is my home or that, um. I mean, I love cooking for you but I don’t mean that you have to accommodate me just because-“Nicky kept putting his foot further into his mouth and was unable to sound coherent.</p>
<p>Joe placed his hand over Nicky’s fingers that had been twitching on the table top. “I understand what you mean. And I would be honored if you would be willing to share your grandmother’s recipes with me.”</p>
<p>Breathing through his nose, Nicky tried to calm himself. “I don’t know why I’ve been so silly about it. If it gets published, anyone who has a copy will see it so I don’t know why I’ve been hoarding it to myself. I’ve already adapted some of her ideas into Ricordi’s menu.”</p>
<p>Joe tipped his head slightly to the side in a thoughtful manner. “Maybe it’s because at Ricordi, the recipes were still yours. But once you publish it, it goes out into the world and you have no control over where it will end up.” Joe squeezed Nicky’s fingers to comfort him. “But the best part is that all those people will get to experience the joy that your grandmother spoke of.”</p>
<p>It sounded so simple but perhaps because of it, Nicky had missed the blocker that was right in front of his face. But somehow, Joe had managed to get to the heart of his inner turmoil and lance it like a painful blister. Her recipes were the last memories that Nicky had of his grandmother. The thought of sharing it with the world had stricken him with panic. As he looked at the gentle smile on Joe’s face, he knew there was no reason to be scared anymore.</p>
<p>They finished the meal in companionable silence and then started to clean up. Joe protested but Nicky insisted that it would go much faster if they do it together. So he scrubbed the dirty dishes and tools while Joe rinsed and laid out everything on to the drying rack. Just like with the cooking, this also felt so natural and harmonious.</p>
<p>Once everything was cleaned up, they sat on the couch and enjoyed the feeling of being happily full. Nicky turned to Joe and grinned. “So how was the meal?”</p>
<p>“Incredible. I was having flashbacks to the ravioli from two years ago that ensnared my stomach. I mean my heart.” He made a dramatic hand motion around his chest. “Back when you were just my mysterious tattooed chef with a heart of gold.”</p>
<p>Rolling his eyes, Nicky brandished his left arm as though it was a sword. “You mean this tattoo?”</p>
<p>“Yes, that one!” Joe reached over and ensnared the arm in question. “Would you mind if I took a better look?”</p>
<p>“Go ahead.” Nicky moved closer to Joe on the couch so that he could see it better.</p>
<p>Joe traced the shape of the elaborate tattoo with his index finger. The overall shape was rectangular with curved edges. There were red and yellow leaves that swirled like vines around the main picture. The shield itself was split into two parts. The upper half was red with a lion rearing on its hind legs. It was also holding a sword. The bottom half was blue and it had three unfurled wings across the middle. There were two stylized scrolls that were placed above and below the shield. The top scroll had the word “Genova” in calligraphy. The bottom scroll contained the words “Esto quod es”, also in the same font.</p>
<p>It was beautiful. Even if he wasn’t an artist, Joe would have appreciated how much detail had gone into the design. The colors were vibrant and the edges were crisp. As he slowly ran his hand along Nicky’s arm, he was tempted to extend his touch to other places.</p>
<p>“So what does this mean? I’m guessing this is your family’s coat of arms?” asked Joe. He pointed to the word Genova. “That’s your last name right?”</p>
<p>“Yes it is. It’s also the region where my family originally came from.” Nicky turned his arm to better show the letters along the bottom. “And this is my family motto.”</p>
<p>Joe was pretty sure that it was Latin but he was not an expert by any means. “What does it say?”</p>
<p>“It means <em>Be What You Are</em>. Basically, it’s saying to be true to yourself.” Nicky smiled fondly and looked down at his tattoo. “I got this after I came out to my family when I was 24 years old.”</p>
<p>“Oh wow. How did that go?”</p>
<p>Nicky laughed a bit weakly. “I was terrified.” Then his mind flashed back to that nerve wracking day.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Nicky was sweating through his shirt.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He looked at his little sister Aria who was sitting to the right of him. She had been the first family member he had told about his sexuality and thankfully it had gone very well. Aria hadn’t even been surprised. If anything, she had been impressed that he had kept it a secret this long with their mother constantly harassing him about getting married and having babies. His younger brother Dario was sitting beside Aria and looking distinctively bored. Nicky supposed most things were boring to 18 year olds.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His parents, Giorgio and Sofia were sitting across from him and looking perhaps as nervous as he was. He had told them that he needed to share some news and at first, they had been excited. But now seeing how apprehensive Nicky was acting, they started looking at each other with uncertain faces.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Is everything all right?” His mother asked in Italian. She watched him clasp his hands tightly and his lips flatten. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Nicky shook his head in denial and also spoke in Italian. “No, nothing like trouble! It’s just that…I wanted to tell you all something that I’ve been keeping to myself and...” He paused as he tried to gather the right words. Nicky had written out what he had planned to say but now that it was crunch time, he was totally blanking out. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Aria nudged his foot and gave him a look that said “Just tell them already!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Nicky took a big gulp of air and decided to just go for it. “I’m gay.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The silence was so loud that it was positively deafening. Nobody moved a muscle. Then Dario laughed and broke the moment.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“This is awesome!” exclaimed Dario.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Everyone turned to him with questioning looks. He shrugged. “Well every time I get a new girlfriend, they always start drooling over Nicky. It’s really freaking annoying.” Dario crossed his arms across his chest in a very self-satisfied manner. “Now I can just tell them that they don’t have a chance with him.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Aria groaned and smacked him on the back of his head. Dario yelped and looked at his older sister in surprise. “What?! I’m totally cool with it so what’s your problem?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Despite how scared Nicky had been feeling just a moment ago, watching his younger siblings brought out a relieved laugh out of him. At least his brother and sister were happy for him. He looked at his parents and waited for them to respond.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They were quiet and their faces were contemplative. His father looked at his mother and they both seemed to communicate without words. They had been the boy and girl next door back in Italy and had gotten married young. At this stage, an eyebrow raised could convey a whole paragraph. Finally, his father turned to face Nicky.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Esto quod es,” said Giorgio.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Nicky froze at the Latin words that had come out of his father’s mouth. He recognized it as their family motto. He also knew what those words meant. Be What You Are.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Nicolo. It must have been very difficult for you to tell us.” His father took his mother’s hand and folded it into his own. “I must confess I am not very knowledgeable in the topic but we are here for you. It’s only right that you should live being true to who you are.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Tears started trailing down Nicky’s face as the fear he had been holding for so long was abolished. He had hoped and prayed that this would be the outcome. But to actually have it happening was almost too much to bear. He put his face into his hands and started to cry audibly.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Nicky heard his sister start sniffling beside him. Then his mother. Even his father. The moment was so emotional that of course Dario had to relieve the tension. He looked at his whole family being weepy and said, “So since we’re being so lovey dovey with each other, is this a good time to confess that it was me who scratched the car?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Aria smacked him again. “We already knew that, you idiot!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Joe positively beamed at Nicky. He knew that coming out to your family and friends could be one of the most terrifying things you can go through. It was obvious how much it meant to him and Joe was so happy that he had their support. Impulsively, he grabbed Nicky into a hug and squeezed.</p>
<p>“I’m so glad that it worked out with your family,” said Joe.</p>
<p>“Me too. I honestly wasn’t sure what to do if it had gone totally wrong.” Nicky laid his head against Joe’s neck and felt the warmth radiate from him. “Did you ever come out to your family?”</p>
<p>Joe started laughing so hard that Nicky leaned back to look at him. “What’s so funny?” Nicky asked as he saw tears squeeze out from the side of Joe’s eyes.</p>
<p>“My coming out was not as heartwarming as yours. If anything, it was incredibly embarrassing.” Joe grinned at the memory. “I was 16 years old and the boy I had a crush on was at my house. He was my classmate and we were <em>supposed</em> to be working on a science project. But instead we ended up making out.”</p>
<p>Nicky had a sinking feeling. “I think I can predict where this is going.”</p>
<p>“Uh huh. So there we were being stupid hormonal teenagers and my mom walked in on us.”</p>
<p>A groan escaped Nicky as he hid his own face in shared embarrassment. Joe laughed even harder at the look of pity that Nicky was giving his way. “She stood there for a split second and then just left the room. Didn’t say a single word. The worst part was she and my dad didn’t say anything about it for days!”</p>
<p>“Days?” Nicky was incredulous. “Your mom walked in on you kissing a boy and she didn’t say anything?”</p>
<p>“Right? I was so nervous I could barely sleep. I drove Yasmine insane because she was the only one who knew before and I was imagining all these terrible scenarios.”</p>
<p>“Were they angry?” asked Nicky.</p>
<p>“Oh no. It was way worse than that. They sat Yasmine and me down for a PowerPoint presentation.”</p>
<p>Nicky’s face froze in confusion. “A PowerPoint presentation?”</p>
<p>“Remember I told you that my parents are university professors? They are scholars through and through. When Yasmine turned 16 and I was 15, they had made one about sex education and delivered it like it was a college lecture. I remember Yasmine being absolutely aghast that they would do this.” Joe was smiling so wide that his dimples were prominently shown. “So after my mom had walked in on me with my classmate, they had spent three days re-working the PowerPoint to better highlight LGBTQ topics.”</p>
<p>Nicky was laughing so hard that he almost fell off the couch. “You’re kidding!”</p>
<p>Joe shook his head. “And it gets worse! They had anatomical models!”</p>
<p>“What?” exclaimed Nicky. His eyes were wide in anticipation. “For what?”</p>
<p>“To show me how to properly prepare myself or my partner. My blessed mother had a tube of KY with her and started demonstrating-“</p>
<p>“No! No, stop! You’re killing me!” Nicky begged as he waved his hands at Joe. “If you tell me anymore I won’t be able to meet your mother and look her in the eye!”</p>
<p>He was trying to keep a straight face but Joe was failing. “To this day, Yasmine will not let me live that down. She likes to mention it at the most inopportune times” Joe grimaced slightly. “So I’m getting ahead of the game and just telling you now.”</p>
<p>Nicky leaned back against the couch cushions as he tried to catch his breath. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed that hard and with such abandon. He rarely had visitors to his home and just being able to relax like this was incredibly satisfying. As he looked at Joe with amused eyes, he nudged him with his knee affectionately.</p>
<p>“So did you learn anything useful from those demonstrations?”</p>
<p>Joe’s eyes glinted mischievously as he looked down at Nicky. There was a warm smile and an inviting look to the head chef that made Joe’s mouth water in a different way. He leaned down and kissed the tip of Nicky’s nose. “Would you like to know?”</p>
<p>But before Joe could show him just how much he knew, Nicky’s phone started to ring.</p>
<p>“Ignore that,” growled Nicky as Joe’s head sprung up and looked at the vibrating phone on the coffee table. It rung a few more times before it went dead. When Joe started leaning down for a kiss, the phone started ringing again. Nicky groaned in displeasure.</p>
<p>“That ringtone is my mother,” said Nicky. “And she will probably keep calling until I pick up.”</p>
<p>Joe chuckled and moved away so Nicky could sit back up. “Well you better not keep her waiting. I don’t want to be on her bad list before she even meets me.”</p>
<p>Frustration was clearly evident on Nicky’s face as he felt the loss of Joe’s warmth. He reached for the phone and got up to take the call. “Hello?” Nicky answered in Italian.</p>
<p>Now this was a new experience for Joe. He had known that Nicky spoke Italian but it was the first time he had heard him. He watched as the head chef paced back and forth in the living room as beautiful words passed through those equally beautiful lips. Whatever they were talking about, Nicky sounded a bit exasperated but also highly amused. After about 15 minutes of conversation, Nicky ended the chat and looked at Joe apologetically.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry,” said Nicky.</p>
<p>Joe shook his head. “Nothing to feel sorry for. I’m just relieved it wasn’t <em>my</em> mom interrupting this time. Is everything all right?”</p>
<p>Nicky sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Yes, it’s okay. She is hosting a small party for her co-workers this weekend and have been asking me for advice. I don’t know why though because she is going to do what she wants anyways and it will be great.”</p>
<p>“But she has such a capable son she can vent to, right?” Joe asked. “Maybe she just wanted to commiserate a bit.”</p>
<p>This comment made Nicky chuckle. It was true. His mother just wanted a sympathetic ear as she agonized over every dish. As he looked down at his phone with a fond smile, he noticed the time. Nicky felt a bit of dread in his stomach as he realized that the evening was coming to an end.</p>
<p>“Um, I feel terrible saying this but I just realized how late it is and I have an early shift tomorrow morning.” Nicky’s face was full of regret and indecision.</p>
<p>“Then it was probably a good thing your mother interrupted us. Or you would have shown up to work tomorrow in the same clothes as the night out.” Joe grinned at the slight blush that started up Nicky’s neck. “I bet that would get some tongues wagging.”</p>
<p>But even as those words left Joe’s mouth, it occurred to him that maybe Nicky wouldn’t want the restaurant crew to know about them. After all, he was the head chef and the last thing Joe wanted to do was bring any drama to the workplace. “Actually, now that I brought that up…do you want people to know that we’re dating? I understand if you don’t want to if it would cause an issue.”</p>
<p>Nicky looked surprised at this question. Maybe it was because he had not dated very frequently but the thought of hiding anything had not occurred to him. He looked at Joe for a few moments before asking, “What would you like to do?”</p>
<p>“If I had my preferred choice, I would be up on the roof of this building to shout how much I adore you.” Joe smiled as Nicky blushed even harder. How was it that this man could kiss the way he does and still flush when Joe flirted with him? “But I know you’re in a different position from me because you’re the boss. The last thing I want is for anyone to disparage you.”</p>
<p>Nicky shook his head with a frown on his face. “I don’t care what anyone says about me. The only concern I have is that you are still technically a student and my responsibility is to be your teacher. I know there a lot of restaurants but the industry is surprisingly small in other ways.” Nicky grimaced as though an annoying thought occurred to him. “People talk and gossip all the time. If word got out that you and I were dating while you’re still an Academy student, Copley will have my head on a platter.”</p>
<p>“Would he?” asked Joe. “Copley seems like a fairly easy going kind of guy.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Copley is approachable but he plays things by the book.” Nicky pointed between the two of them. “He would say that I no longer had an Objective Position of Judgement. If my presence were to jeopardize your graduation, that would not be okay with me.”</p>
<p>Joe wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “Should I flunk out spectacularly? I can be a scandal even before I get my first paid gig.”</p>
<p>With a groan, Nicky sat back down on the couch and ran his fingers through his hair again. “Do you really mean that? After the two years of hellish training you went through?”</p>
<p>Even though he had said it in jest, Joe did not want to actually flunk out. He had devoted a lot of sweat and blood into learning at the Academy and he wanted to finish it properly. He also didn’t want to complicate life even further for Nicky. “Okay, then how about this? My internship is four months. During that time, we can keep this on the down low. After I am no longer a contracted student, there shouldn’t be an issue.” Then Joe tilted his head as another thought came to him. “Unless you think then it will be a problem with the restaurant staff?”</p>
<p>Nicky scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding me? Those nosy bastards would be so happy to see me dating someone. Nile and Andy has been on my case for years saying I should join the priesthood if I was just going to work all the time.” Nicky crossed his arms over this chest and squinted his eyes in thought. “To be honest with you, I think Andy set this whole thing up with you getting drunk.”</p>
<p>Joe sent out a silent prayer and thank you to Andy. When this was all in the open, he was going to buy her a lot of drinks in thanks. Maybe even a really fancy letter opener. “Bless that woman. I never knew my incapacity to hold liquor was going to come in handy someday.” He scooted closer to Nicky until their legs were touching. “So what to do you think? Should we pull a Romeo and Juliet while I’m your student so Copley doesn’t think I’m getting my grades through nefarious means?”</p>
<p>“Hopefully this doesn’t end up with us both dead,” laughed Nicky. Then he sobered up and took Joe’s hand. “I don’t like deception but let’s do this until your internship is over. I would hate it if there were any questions concerning your abilities because you’re the best intern we’ve ever had.”</p>
<p>“Does this mean I can scream my undying adoration for you once Copley gives me my diploma?” Joe asked while bringing Nicky’s hand up and pressing a soft kiss. Nicky smiled with pleasure at the gesture.</p>
<p>“Yes, you have my blessing. Just don’t wake up the neighbors.”</p>
<p>His whole body humming with happiness, Joe pulled Nicky to him and gave a warm hug. “That’s a promise.”</p>
<p>Even though they were both reluctant, Joe and Nicky eventually separated from the embrace to get ready for Nicky’s departure. It unfortunately didn’t take too long and Nicky was ready to leave. They were both standing by the door and not quite able to open it.</p>
<p>“Well, I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” said Joe. He fiddled with the buttons on Nicky’s jacket because he loathed not being able to touch him. “I’ll do my best to look uninterested and wholly professional.”</p>
<p>“I think that would give it away even more,” said Nicky. “Andy has already commented on the way you look at me.”</p>
<p>Joe sent another mental thanks to Andy as he marveled at her observation skills. “So I can just continue to fail miserably at hiding my appreciation for you. Thank goodness.”</p>
<p>Nicky laughed and Joe’s heart squeezed at that wonderful sound. He brought Nicky close and kissed him. It felt so good to taste him and Joe’s mind desperately yelled that he didn’t want Nicky to go. But he knew that it was inevitable so with a bittersweet note, he pulled away. He watched as Nicky’s eyelids fluttered open to reveal those beautiful green eyes soft with desire.</p>
<p>“You should go before I change my mind,” whispered Joe.</p>
<p>A soft exhale came raggedly from Nicky’s lips. He closed his eyes again to compose himself and slow down his heart beat. Once he had a semblance of calm, he opened his eyes again. But seeing Joe’s sad smile almost undid him again.</p>
<p>“I had a really great time. Thank you so much,” said Nicky.</p>
<p>“You don’t have to thank me. I feel the same.” Joe opened the door reluctantly. “Text me when you get home safely?”</p>
<p>Nicky nodded while he slowly made his way toward the open doorway. “I will.”</p>
<p>Then with a small wave, he went through the door and was gone. Joe closed the door and leaned his forehead against the cool material. He thought about everything that had transpired since they had left the bar and was amazed how much his life had just changed. How all of his dreaming and hoping was coming true.</p>
<p>
  <em>I’m going to have a hard time not looking like the happiest man on Earth.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>********************</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Joe had underestimated how difficult it would be to not throw himself at the head chef.</p>
<p>The day after Nicky had stayed at his apartment, Joe went to work at his usual time and avoided pointed looks from Nile all morning. She tried to joke and cajole any details but he had just smiled and said that Nicky had delivered him safely home. Which was definitely not a lie. Joe didn’t particularly enjoy the duplicity but there was also a bit of thrill in seeing how long they could keep this up. Not to mention that he had finally heard about <em>The Bet</em>. So for now, he took a slightly sadistic pleasure in keeping everyone guessing.</p>
<p>The one person that he suspected knew what was going on was Andy. She had taken one look at Nicky and Joe on Tuesday morning, laughed, and walked away to her office. Nicky had looked confused at her reaction but Joe had a sinking feeling that their General Manager was a lot more observant than anyone gave her credit for.</p>
<p>So Joe tried to his best to keep it as usual and not fret. The amount of work and learning was keeping him busy anyways. Even though the physical abuse from Nile was mostly over, her stern instructions and fast paced work speed had not lessened at all. His time with Booker had also stepped up. Every day he was helping with complicated prep work that at times took days to complete. Sometimes Nile and Booker would start bickering in French over a particular dish, much to Joe’s amusement. At one point he had asked Nile if they were married yet and had expected a smack with the wooden spoon. To his surprise, she had scowled at him and then left in a huff. He decided to file <em>that</em> away for scrutiny for another time.</p>
<p>As for Nicky and him, they continued learning about each other. They still had their long work hours to contend with but whatever time they could squeeze in, they did. It had helped that they both had the same day off so they would go and explore more of their favorite places together. Joe delighted in the fact that with each new interaction, Nicky seemed to be coming further out from his shell. Whatever negativity that had held him back from trying for a more meaningful relationship seemed to be slipping away.</p>
<p>But for Joe, he was constantly walking a fine line. When Nicky had dashed out of that subway train and into his arms, he knew that he couldn’t see himself with anyone else. That look of earnest hope that had shone out of his eyes had cemented it for Joe. So when Nicky had talked about his difficulties with long term relationships, Joe decided to reel it back. He could hear Quynh’s voice in his head telling him that he was being silly. But between Nicky’s dating history and Copley’s possible wrath if they got found out, Joe thought it might be prudent if he checked his libido a bit at the door.</p>
<p>For all his best intentions though, Joe’s efforts got tested every day. Whether it was Nicky giving out orders during a dinner shift or biting his lips in concentration while on the phone, Joe couldn’t keep his eyes away from his head chef. He had a suspicion that Nicky had no idea the effect he had on Joe.</p>
<p>Then about two weeks into their relationship, Joe’s effort to go slow finally exploded in his face.</p>
<p>It started out as a pretty normal day. Nile and Booker were squabbling again while Joe was playing referee. He secretly loved egging them on because it was so fun watching Nile lose her rock solid composure. As for Booker, Joe appreciated his gallows humor no matter how much shit was hitting the fan. Joe had also discovered that Booker was a hardcore football fan like him. Then Nile would purposely say “soccer” and then they were off again in the bickering.</p>
<p>After they had gotten through the lunch shift in one piece, Joe had gone back to the employee room to see if there were any food left. He had been caught up in a time consuming mise en place and hadn’t had much to eat. But once he got there, Joe saw that there were a few other stragglers who were having a late lunch.</p>
<p>Nicky was perched on the counter while holding up a plate of spaghetti. Lunch had been an offering of traditional Italian fares and had exuded all the best of comfort food. Nicky had shown up about halfway through the meeting so Joe was not surprised that he was here now to finish his meal.</p>
<p>Joe gave a smile and a nod to Nicky and started plating up the leftover food. There were a few people around at the table, laughing at their shared jokes. Joe sat at a seat that faced Nicky. But once he locked eyes with him, Joe was beginning to regret this decision.</p>
<p>The head chef was slouching slightly while balancing the plate with his left hand. His fork was twirling the noodles and bringing it up to his mouth. Joe watched as though in a trance. Watching someone eat shouldn’t have been so erotic but somehow Nicky made everything look sexy. Then a small impish smile spread across Nicky’s face.</p>
<p>He brought his thumb up and smeared some of the sauce that was on the side of his lips. Then as Joe stared, Nicky slowly licked his thumb with the tip of his tongue darting out. Then he took his index finger, dipped it into the plate and brought that one to his lips as well. Nicky’s eyes were dancing with mischief as he sucked up to his second knuckle.</p>
<p>Joe’s mouth went bone dry as he looked around in a panic. The other occupants of the room were too busy talking to notice what was going on. But the thought that Nicky was outright teasing him this way in public was setting Joe’s brain on fire. He looked back at Nicky and the head chef’s body was shaking as he tried to hold back his laughter. Then he speared a large meatball with his fork and slid his tongue over the side of it before popping it into his mouth. The bulge on the side of his cheek suggested something similar in size could be in there instead.</p>
<p>With a loud clatter of cutlery hitting the floor, Joe shot up from his seat. The other three employees looked up from their chat with puzzled faces. Joe attempted to make a feeble excuse about not being hungry anymore and immediately fled the scene.</p>
<p>As he ran, Joe started cursing under his breath. Didn’t Nicky say that they needed to keep a lid on this? He had been trying so hard to hold back and now all he could do was jump into the walk in freezer so that his rapidly expanding erection could calm down.</p>
<p>Once he felt he had a hold on himself, Joe snuck out of the freezer and tried vainly to focus on his work. Nile was looking at him as though he had suddenly sprouted two heads. After a few fumbling attempts at melting sugar and crystallizing each time, she rolled her eyes and instructed him to gather the ingredients needed for a specialty dessert. Joe took the list from her gratefully and started his scavenger hunt of materials.</p>
<p>Most of the items on the list were to be found in the dry goods room. Joe made his way to the back of the building where the storage spaces were located. But when he opened the door, he got a surprise he had not expected.</p>
<p>Nicky was inside, holding the inventory clipboard and a pencil. He turned when the door opened and beamed a happy smile at the sight of Joe.</p>
<p>Without hesitation, Joe closed the door behind him and locked it.</p>
<p>“Has anyone ever told you that you are a little shit?” asked Joe.</p>
<p>Nicky grinned and brought the pencil up to his lower lip. He tried to put on an innocent face but was failing miserably. “Oh? I don’t know what you could mean?”</p>
<p>Joe closed the short distance between them and placed his right hand against the wall by Nicky's head. He leaned forward until their faces were only a few inches apart. “I’m talking about the fact that we’re trying to keep this a secret and yet you just ate that plate of spaghetti in the most pornographic way possible. Are you trying to kill me?”</p>
<p>Nicky couldn’t stop the little laugh that came bubbling up. Joe’s face looked so serious but he could tell that a smile was trying to break out over those gorgeous lips. “You’re right. That was bad of me. But it’s just-" Nicky stopped and a look of uncertainty flashed across his features. “It’s been two weeks since we started dating and all you’ve done is kiss me and hold my hand. I guess I was just wondering if you were still interested in…” Nicky trailed off before he could bring up more of his insecurities.</p>
<p>Joe leaned further into Nicky's body until they were touching from chest to knee. Nicky sucked in his breath when he felt the bulge of Joe's erection against him. Then Joe whispered, “I’ll have you know that I spent ten minutes in the walk in freezer to calm down and that was totally wasted the moment I stepped into this room. Does this answer your question if I am still interested?”</p>
<p>His green eyes wide with surprise and excitement, Nicky looked at Joe and swallowed hard. “So then why have you been a bit distant? You were almost over the top affectionate before.”</p>
<p>Sighing heavily, Joe closed his eyes and told himself to relax a bit. “Between your dating history and trying not to piss off Copley, I thought I should take it slower. I didn’t want you to think I was just trying to get into your pants.” Joe looked down at where their midsections were touching. “But I really do. I just didn’t want to rush you.”</p>
<p>Nicky placed the clipboard and pencil on the shelf closest to him so he can wind his arms around Joe's neck. “I appreciate the gentlemanly approach. But let me make something clear. It’s true I haven’t dated a lot due to my cynicism and work hours but I wasn’t a Saint either.” Nicky pushed against Joe with his own growing erection and heard the other man groan. “And I want you as much as you want me.”</p>
<p>Throwing all caution to the wind, Joe smashed his mouth against Nicky's and started devouring him. In response, Nicky dug his fingers into Joe's hair and locked him in place so that every tongue thrusts were feverishly reciprocated. Then Joe started kissing his way down across Nicky's chin, the curve of his neck and then up toward his ear. Once there, Joe's licked the earlobe before gripping the small earring between his teeth. Then he gently tugged at the metal before whispering, “Nicolo.”</p>
<p>Nicky's knees buckled the moment he heard his full name roughly whispered by Joe. He had never had a lover call him by his given name and it had caught Nicky totally off guard. When his legs failed him, Joe lifted Nicky and placed him against the stack of large bags piled on the floor. They were surprisingly comfortable and for a moment Nicky wasn’t sure what was acting as his temporary bed. He turned his face and saw the side of the bags with the words “Semisweet Chocolate" written across the side.</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh yeah…Nile had wanted more semisweet chocolate ordered…</em>
</p>
<p>Then any more thoughts about work immediately evaporated when Joe pulled out Nicky’s throbbing penis from his pants and swallowed the tip into his hot mouth.</p>
<p>Nicky almost shouted out loud but managed to hold back his voice just in time by biting his hand. He was about to lose his mind as Joe gripped the penis with his right hand while his left gently fondled the balls. Then Joe grinned wickedly and took one fully into his mouth.</p>
<p>“Fuck!” Nicky barely managed to stifle his cussing with the back of his hand. He looked down at Joe as the other man slowly licked his way up the shaft and swirled his tongue at the tip. Nicky almost bit through his lips from the effort of holding back his voice.</p>
<p>“You only have yourself to blame,” chuckled Joe as he continued to stroke Nicky with both hands. “The way you ate that meatball was positively obscene.”</p>
<p>Nicky was panting as Joe kept touching him. “If I had known putting on that little show was going to be this effective, I would have done it sooner.”</p>
<p>Joe laughed and pumped his hand a bit faster at the base. Nicky moaned and thrust in rhythm along with Joe's hand. When his cock was once again inside Joe's wet mouth, Nicky arched his head back in delirious pleasure. His desperate fingers gripped tighter into Joe’s curly hair as waves and waves of ecstasy kept crashing into him.</p>
<p>As Joe picked up his pace and started swallowing deeper into his throat, Nicky could feel his groin tightening in anticipation. He tried to warn Joe but before he could utter a sound, he was coming and felt the hot release of his semen as it erupted into Joe's mouth. Nicky was biting so hard on to his arm that it left red teeth marks.</p>
<p>Once the initial fog of orgasm cleared, Nicky looked at Joe who was still on his knees between Nicky's legs. Then in a motion that mirrored Nicky's spaghetti foreplay, Joe smeared the cum that was in the corner of his mouth with his thumb and licked it. Nicky might have lost a few brain cells at that sight.</p>
<p>Then he saw how Joe's chef pants were tenting as his erect cock was straining against the fabric. Nicky sat up and started reaching for it when Joe stayed his hands.</p>
<p>“Sadly, I think that will be for another time. Dinner shift will start soon and the crew will be looking for you,” said Joe.</p>
<p>Nicky looked a little horrified at the thought of leaving Joe in this state. “That hardly seems fair after what you just did for me.”</p>
<p>Joe started cleaning up Nicky and his own hands with his apron. Then he pulled Nicky's underwear and pants back over him in one neat motion. Nicky was quietly impressed as Joe took his hand and lifted him up from the bags of flour and chocolate. “I can take care of myself. Had a lot of practice the last two years pining over my mystery chef.”</p>
<p>A blush worked its way across Nicky’s face as the full knowledge of what had just transpired hit him in the face. Joe had given him the best blow job of his life and Nicky was expected to just leave him unfulfilled.</p>
<p>But before Nicky could protest, Joe was already pushing him toward the door. “It wouldn’t be good if we were seen leaving together. You go first.” Then he shoved Nicky out and with a jaunty little wave, closed the door in his face.</p>
<p>Nicky stood there frozen for just a second before he dashed to his office to hide. He couldn’t bear the thought of trying to participate in any forms of conversation or work until he could process what had just happened. He sat in his chair with his face in his hands for a good 20 minutes before the phone rang asking for his presence in the kitchen.</p>
<p>Taking long deep breathes, he reminded himself to just act natural. Everything was fine. He was a grown man and he could handle this.</p>
<p>But once he made his way down to the kitchen, Nicky saw Joe by the line and knew everything was not fine. He was also barely <em>just</em> handling it and not letting his face explode in embarrassment. He picked up his chef knife and tried to look composed.</p>
<p>Joe on the other hand looked as cool as a cucumber. He was whistling and happily setting up the station as though he hadn’t just been on his knees with a cock in his mouth a moment ago. He also certainly didn’t look like a man who had just masturbated in the dry goods room. When he finally looked up and noticed Nicky staring at him, he winked while a huge grin split his face.</p>
<p>Nicky closed his eyes and prayed silently for inner strength to get through the dinner shift. When he opened his eyes, Joe was still smiling and showing off his deep dimples. Nicky glared at him just a little bit and silently mouthed the words <em>I'll get you for this!</em></p>
<p>Joe winked again and mouthed back, <em>I’m looking forward to it!</em></p>
<p>“Hey Nicky.”</p>
<p>The startled head chef spun around when he heard the voice behind him. He saw Nile there with a paper list in her hand.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I’m going to have enough ingredients for those two buyout parties next week. I’m going to need more semisweet chocolate."</p>
<p>Nicky promptly dropped the knife from his hand and Nile dodged back in alarm.</p>
<p>“Nicky, be careful!” she exclaimed. “You could have stabbed yourself with that! Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Nicky picked up his knife and awkwardly tried to recover. “I’m so sorry, Nile. It just slipped out. I’m okay.”</p>
<p>She gave him a long assessing look to make sure and didn’t seem fully convinced. “Well…okay. Just don’t forget the chocolate order, got it?”</p>
<p>Nicky nodded his head. “Got it.”</p>
<p>Then she left with a puzzled frown on her face. Nicky sighed and looked up to see Joe laughing while bent over the counter. Nicky scowled as Joe tried to stop but it was futile. His whole body shook from trying not to laugh too loudly. Once he managed to get a hold of himself, Joe flashed his dimples again with a huge grin.</p>
<p>“Can we please use semisweet chocolate as our safe word?” asked Joe.</p>
<p>Nicky threw his kitchen towel at Joe and cursed at him in Italian. Joe nimbly dodged out of the way and laughed even harder.</p>
<p>“I’ll take that as a yes.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh my gosh, I am SO SORRY that this chapter took so long. I got derailed writing two other fics. But hopefully I can stay on track a bit better.</p>
<p>- St. Anne's was inspired by St. Lawrence's Market in Toronto, Canada. It's an incredible space and so much good food. Last time I was there, I almost exploded from eating too much pierogi.</p>
<p>- the fact that Joe decided to go into finance instead of being an artist made me sad but people don't always pursue their passions due to pragmatic reasons. I envy those who have jobs that is also their joy in life.</p>
<p>- I wanted to give Nicky and Joe a good coming out experience with their families. I know that it can go terribly wrong sometimes. Maybe it was too idealistic but I wanted them to be happy damnit. The fact that he got that giant tattoo is his way of reaffirming that love. I even named the whole story after the Genova Family Motto!!! BE WHAT YOU ARE EVERYONE!</p>
<p>- Thank you Athena for the inspiration of the PowerPoint Sex Education Presentation. I still can't believe your Dads did that. WOW. </p>
<p>- Nicky is a Little Shit and we all know it. The man brings up the Malta Sex Vacation while strapped to a lab dissection chair! You know behind that calm demeanor is a total tease!!!</p>
<p>And I will never look at semisweet chocolate the same again....thanks for reading! You can find me at <a href="https://kiaya.tumblr.com/">my Tumblr page</a>. Let me know if you have any questions!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Change of Plans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Joe’s phone would not stop ringing.</p><p>It was ringing for the sixth time as he exited off the highway. At the red light, he looked at the screen and saw that all the calls had been from Quynh. At the seventh ring, he resigned himself to his fate and pressed the button that activated the handless Bluetooth.</p><p>
  <em>“What the fuck, Joe! I’ve been calling you all morning? Why weren’t you picking up?”</em>
</p><p>The light changed to green and Joe pressed the accelerator to move the car. “I’ve been busy.”</p><p>
  <em>“Busy. Right. You send me this cryptic text asking if it’s too forward bringing an overnight bag then don’t pick up when I call you?”</em>
</p><p>Joe groaned inside his head. The moment he had sent the text he had immediately regretted it. “Sorry it was more of a rhetorical question. Just ignore it.”</p><p>
  <em>“Well, did you pack a bag?”</em>
</p><p>He momentarily considered lying but he knew Quynh could see through him even over the phone. “Yes, I packed a bag. But I’ve been invited over to work on the cookbook with him. I’m probably overthinking this.”</p><p>
  <em>“Uh huh. I hope you brought a lot of condoms for the sex marathon. Make sure to give him some breaks, okay?”</em>
</p><p>Joe swerved his car a bit too far as he took a turn. He scowled at the speaker. “Are you trying to get me into an accident?”</p><p>Quynh laughed at Joe’s flustered voice. <em>“Just saying what’s already on your mind. I kind of feel bad for Nicky. You’re going to be like an overeager teenager.”</em></p><p>He remembered their encounter in the dry good rooms that happened just a few days ago. To say that Joe had been eager would be an understatement. He could still remember the look on Nicky’s face the moment he had taken that throbbing cock into his mouth. The thought of seeing that again and perhaps more had occupied Joe’s brain all morning. It was for the taste testing, Joe had kept reminding himself. But deep inside, Joe was hoping more than cooking might happen.</p><p>
  <em>“So tell me all the juicy details later. Just don’t blow your load too early.”</em>
</p><p>“Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around, Quynh,” grumbled Joe.</p><p>
  <em>“Who else can you bitch and moan to? Just promise me that you’ll introduce me to Nicky soon, okay?”</em>
</p><p>“He might reconsider dating me if he meets you,” muttered Joe. “You’ll scare the shit out of him and then where would I be?” He could just feel the eye roll that Quynh was doing on the other end of the line.</p><p>
  <em>“You say that but I know you love me, al-Kaysani. Have fun ravishing your dream chef!”</em>
</p><p>Then she hung up and left Joe to stay flustered over her words. Thankfully, he was not too far from Nicky’s house so he didn’t have to drive while distracted. He double checked his GPS to see that he had arrived at the correct address.</p><p>The neighborhood that Nicky lived in was quiet and picturesque. The houses were built a few decades ago and there were many variations in landscaping. Joe saw children riding their bicycles down the street while an elderly couple walked their dog at a slow pace. It seemed like an ideal place to raise a family and grow old together. Joe immediately thought how much he wanted to do that with Nicky.</p><p>Joe closed his eyes and leaned against the steering wheel. He was trying not to get ahead of himself but he knew he loved Nicky. They had only known each other face to face for a month but Joe didn’t question it. All previous relationships simply paled in comparison to his feelings for his head chef.</p><p>Since Joe was an incurable romantic, he felt like destiny was playing a hand in all this. Even all the bad decisions he had made seemed less glaring in the light of the current situation. He wouldn’t trade any of it, even the pain, since it had brought him to Nicky’s doorstep.</p><p>Joe unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the car. He hesitated over the bag but decided to take it. He also grabbed the bottle of red wine that he wanted to pair with Nicky's recipe. Hopefully the head chef would approve of his choice.</p><p>He walked up to the house and admired the mixture of flowering shrubs and cobblestones placed skillfully in a path to the front door. Nicky had never told him if he had a green thumb but the yard looked well maintained. The house itself was two stories and painted a bright cheerful blue. It made Joe chuckle that Nicky owned such a quaint little house.</p><p>Once in front of the door, Joe pressed the doorbell and waited. After a few minutes, it opened to Nicky looking slightly flustered. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and jeans. Joe was secretly delighted that no matter the occasion, Nicky would always dress for comfort. But now he felt a little over-dressed in his button down shirt and slacks. Joe smiled and offered the bottle of wine. “I got you a present.”</p><p>Nicky flushed pink with pleasure at the sight of Joe. He took the gift and stepped aside so that Joe could come in. “Thanks for coming. I’m really grateful for your help.”</p><p>“I don’t think you need to thank me. If anything, I feel like I’m the one who should be thanking you.” Joe took off his jacket and hung it on the coat hook by the door. He placed the bag underneath it. “Being asked to taste test your cooking sounds like a dream come true.”</p><p>“I think you should hold out judgement until I actually make something,” replied Nicky. “Do you want a little tour?”</p><p>Nodding eagerly, Joe followed Nicky as he took him around the house. The first thing that struck Joe was how bright it was. There were large windows and skylights that let the sunlight into all nooks and crannies. The living room was dominated by a large wall of shelves packed with books. The furniture looked sturdy with heavy wooden legs and armrests. The upholstery was more subdued with colorful cushions to add interest and draw the eye. There were potted plants in all the corners and looked well care for.</p><p>The kitchen was open and connected to the living room. A large island in the middle provided ample counter space for cooking or eating. The appliances were all industrial quality and immaculate in upkeep. But despite all the stainless steel, the kitchen exuded comfort with dark wooden cabinets and bronze fixtures. There was a separate space beside the kitchen that served as the dining room. It had a square table with four matching chairs tucked neatly underneath.</p><p>Nicky already had a cutting board and other tools laid out in anticipation of their cooking experiments. A very thick notebook sat open on the island with Nicky’s distinct handwriting scribbled over the pages. Beside it, a small box held notes written in Italian. The edges of the notes were worn and well loved. They were most certainly his grandmother’s recipe cards.</p><p>Joe pointed to them. “Are these what I think they are?”</p><p>Nicky smiled and nodded. “Yeah, these were my grandmother’s recipes. She told me that she got them from <em>her</em> grandmother.”</p><p>“Wow. That means these go back many generations.” He looked at Nicky with anticipation. “Can I see them?”</p><p>“Of course,” said Nicky. He picked up the box and offered it to Joe. “Take a look. It’s all in Italian though so I don’t know how much you can make out.”</p><p>Very carefully, Joe lifted out one card and ran his fingertip along the soft edge. The paper was thick which probably had helped keep its structure intact through the many years. The black letters were written in a beautiful cursive form that wasn’t common anymore. Joe was beginning to suspect that Nicky’s appreciation of good paper and note writing had begun with his grandmother. Joe thought about the note given to him two years ago and silently thanked her.</p><p>Joe tucked the card back into the box. “Is this why you write all your recipes first on paper?”</p><p>His green eyes softening in memory, Nicky looked at the beautifully written recipes and nodded. “It feels more real to me, even though my first drafts all look so messy.” He chuckled and closed the box before putting it back on the counter. “It’s kind of ironic because I give Andy so much crap about not going full digital. But I just feel better writing it all out first and then transferring it to my computer.”</p><p>Moving closer, Joe brushed his lips against Nicky’s cheek and watched with pleasure as a blush worked its way across. “I think it’s endearing. I would be happy to be your scribe along with being a taste tester.”</p><p>Nicky met Joe’s eyes and tried to act calm but he could feel his heart thumping like crazy in his chest. He had spent the majority of the morning feeling excited and a bit on edge. Not in a bad way but it felt like all of his extremities were tingling.</p><p>Perhaps it was because he had never invited a boyfriend over to his house before. Most of Nicky’s experiences, especially since he became a head chef, had been one night stands or short lived affairs. He had never brought anyone over because his house was his sanctuary. The thought of bringing a stranger felt unsettling.</p><p>But everything about Joe seemed to feel right in the space. The moment that he had walked into the house, Nicky felt his body release its tension. The air felt lighter and relaxed. The sunlight streaming from overhead seem to light up Joe and every micro expression on his face. As these thoughts blurred through Nicky’s mind, he realized he was staring at Joe like a love-struck teenager. He coughed and gestured toward the open space.</p><p>“Would you like to see the rest of the house?” Nicky asked.</p><p>“I would love to,” said Joe.</p><p>Nicky took Joe’s hand and took him out of the kitchen. They worked their way through the living room and then stood in front of glass patio doors. The back yard was not huge but it was tidy and green. There were also three garden boxes with a variety of vegetables along with some herbs in pots. Joe looked at Nicky in surprise.</p><p>“I never realized you were so keen on plants. Is that why your yard looks so immaculate?”</p><p>Nicky shook his head and laughed. “I do like gardening but I don’t have time to maintain everything. I pay a service for most of the upkeep. But I can at least keep my little vegetable patch and indoor plants alive.” He took Joe’s hand again and started walking. “I’ll show you upstairs.”</p><p>They climbed the stairs and Joe was once again impressed with the décor. There were three bedrooms and they were all comfortable but beautifully furnished. The office had a large desk with a plushy chair behind it. There were even more books here along with a luxurious reading sofa that Joe wanted to sink into.</p><p>The guest bedroom was the same size as the office but cozier. There was a queen sized bed with colorful pillows stacked high along with a small writing desk and chair. There were pictures of Nicky’s family that were scattered artfully along the walls. Joe looked at Nicky and raised an eyebrow in question. “Do you get guests often at your home?”</p><p>Nicky chuckled. “My younger brother Dario comes to visit sometimes. He’s still living with my parents while he works on his Master’s degree. Once in a while he crashes here to escape them.”</p><p>“And no one else?”</p><p>“Other than some family and friends, I’m pretty much a hermit.” Nicky swallowed audibly and could barely meet Joe’s eyes. “You’re the first person I’m seeing that I invited to the house.”</p><p>Joe let those words sink in while he watched Nicky squirm a bit under his heated gaze. The fact that Nicky was letting him into his private space suddenly took on an even deeper meaning. Slowly, Joe ran his finger up Nicky’s arm to lightly brush the skin. “Anywhere else you want to show me?”</p><p>A small laugh escaped Nicky’s lips as he shivered at the soft touch. He looked at Joe and saw the look of anticipation on the other man’s face. “Just one more room left.”</p><p>They walked out of the guest bedroom and across the hallway to the master bedroom. The first thing that Joe spotted was the king size bed with a dark wooden headboard. This room was more subdued in color compared to the guest room but it exuded a calm and peaceful aura. Paintings and photographs were displayed with a balance of nostalgia and pure aesthetic. Joe stepped close to one large picture frame that had been divided into nine squares. It showed scenes of clear blue waters, an ancient city in limestone, and bustling streets.</p><p>“Is this a moodboard?” asked Joe.</p><p>“I think that’s what my sister called it. She’s the interior designer in the family so I left all the decorating to her.” Nicky stepped closer to the frame and pointed out the city. “These are pictures of Malta. I’ve always wanted to go there but I rarely take vacations. Aria felt it was necessary to <em>remind </em>me that there was more to life than just working.”</p><p>“Smart lady.” Joe marveled at the pictures and was struck by how familiar the sea looked. “This looks so similar to my painting.”</p><p>“That isn’t a surprise since Malta isn’t very far from Tunisia,” said Nicky.</p><p>“But why Malta?” Joe asked. “Is there a special reason you want to go there?”</p><p>Nicky pointed to his tattoo. “After I got this, I became really interested in my family’s history. I started poring over genealogy information and I found out that some of my ancestors had helped build Valletta.” He pointed to pictures of the grand buildings that shone in the Mediterranean sun. Then Nicky grinned a bit in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, this is probably all boring for you.”</p><p>“Are you kidding me? I was raised by two history buffs.” Joe took Nicky’s hands and raised them to his lips. “I would love to go there with you someday. If you like.”</p><p>For a moment, Nicky wondered if Joe was joking. But the thought of going on his dream vacation with Joe seized his mind and wouldn’t let go. “I would like that.”</p><p>Joe was still holding his hands and Nicky looked down at their entwined fingers. Suddenly, the room felt hot and all the air in his lungs felt like it was going to explode. Nicky had spent the night tossing and turning in bed while reminding himself that Joe was coming to work on the recipes. But unfortunately, a lot of his thoughts had definitely <em>not</em> been about cooking. Now that Joe was finally here, Nicky was reminded of the preparations he had taken that didn’t involve setting out kitchen tools.</p><p>“So…” Joe started talking softly. “I know we said we would work on the cookbook but is this a bad time to mention that I packed an overnight bag?”</p><p>Nicky’s head shot up and he saw the grin that was plastered on Joe’s face. He looked down at the other man’s lips and Nicky bit his own in eagerness. “Then is this a bad time to mention that I took a really long shower before you got here?”</p><p>His eyes widening slightly, Joe stared as Nicky's tongue darted out and made his lips glisten with moisture. It took Joe only a split second to understand the meaning of those words and his manhood started to swell at the thought of finally taking Nicky to bed.</p><p>But before Joe could ask if they could postpone the cooking, Nicky had already pushed him backwards on to the bed. Joe laughed when he saw the same look that Nicky had sported while seducing him with his obscene eating style at Ricordi.</p><p>“You really like keeping me on my toes, don’t you?” Joe started unbuttoning his shirt. Nicky was tracking every new reveal of his skin with hungry eyes. “You’re sometimes a little shy and I can make you blush at the drop of a hat. But then you catch me off guard.”</p><p>Nicky decided just watching wasn’t enough and started undoing Joe's pants. He saw how hard Joe already was and it thrilled him that he could elicit such a response from his lover. “What can I say? Maybe you just bring out the best in me. Or the worst?” He made quick work of the zipper and started tugging at the slacks until they were peeled off Joe's long legs. Nicky threw it carelessly over his shoulder.</p><p>Once he could sit back up again, Joe took off the shirt and it joined his pants on the floor. He reached for Nicky to help him also disrobe but the head chef shook his head.</p><p>“I don’t think so.” Nicky grinned in a way that Joe imagined no one had seen at work. It was a mixture of devilish glee and anticipation. “After what happened in the dry goods room, it wouldn’t be fair until I even the score, don’t you agree?” He leaned forward until their lips were barely touching. “Let me take care of you.”</p><p>Nicky slid his hand under Joe's underwear and gently squeezed the hot twitching cock. Joe surged up in response and Nicky pressed him down again with the force of his kiss. He worked his hand up the throbbing shaft and caressed the top. Joe moaned and tried to touch Nicky back but he was rebuffed again.</p><p>Breaking the kiss, Nicky wriggled his index finger in an adorable gesture of denial. “Nope. You’re going to behave.” He got up to remove his pants and underwear but kept his shirt.</p><p>Nicky hooked his fingers over the waistband of Joe's last garment and gently tugged it down until the erect cock popped out. He licked his lips at the sight of the precum glistening along the slit. Nicky touched the tip of his tongue to that bead of moisture and tasted Joe for the first time. When Joe gasped and clenched his fingers into the bed, Nicky hummed with pleasure as he took the full weight of it into his mouth.</p><p>Joe couldn’t stop himself from tangling his fingers into Nicky's hair. The strands were smooth and silky under his grip. It took all of Joe's willpower not to thrust upward and brutally fuck Nicky's warm mouth. Just when Joe thought he might lose his mind, Nicky pulled back and laid a wet kiss on the inner part of Joe's thigh.</p><p>“Not yet! I’ve only started!” Nicky pressed another kiss to the opposite leg.</p><p>Joe was panting as he took in the sight of Nicky between his legs. The lips were swollen and Nicky's eyes looked dark with desire. It was sexier than anything Joe had imagined over the last two years. “I hate to admit this but if you keep that up, I don’t know how long I can last. It’s been…a while.”</p><p>Nicky knew completely what he meant. They had both been neglecting this part of their lives for various reasons and now the feeling of each other’s bodies was almost overwhelming. Nicky pointed to a box that was on the bedside table.</p><p>“Can you grab that for me?”</p><p>Joe looked over to his side and reached for the box that Nicky was asking for. He managed to grab it successfully but his hand slipped bringing it closer. When the box dropped and the lid opened, Joe watched as a waterfall of condoms and lube fell out of it. He looked at Nicky with wide eyes and saw the other man trying not to laugh.</p><p>“Did you really invite me here to work on your grandmother’s recipes?”</p><p>At Joe’s question, Nicky did laugh out loud. “Yes! I really did. But I like being prepared for every possibility.”</p><p>Joe grinned. “I think I like this part of your personality. But uh-” He looked at the amount of sex paraphernalia that was spilled across the bed. “I'm not sure if we have enough hours today to go through all of that."</p><p>Nicky raised an eyebrow in question. "Is that a challenge? Because now that we’re here, I don’t want to stop until you’re begging me to.”</p><p>Joe's brain bluescreened for just a moment. But his old habit of never backing down kicked in. He wriggled out of his underwear and then tossed the needed items toward Nicky. “Let’s see what you got, <em>Nicolo</em>.”</p><p>At the sound of his full name, Nicky felt his cock twitch in excitement. He loved the way Joe formed the syllables. Nicky caught the items deftly out of the air and refocused his attention back to their mutual needs. Nicky straddled Joe again and started grinding his erect penis against Joe's own. He took the bottle of lube and leaned forward to apply it to himself.</p><p>Joe was entranced by the vision before him. Nicky had brought up the shirt to his mouth and was biting down on the fabric. His eyes were tightly shut as his fingers worked on the muscles, readying his hole for penetration. Joe had never seen something as sensual as Nicky touching himself and getting lost in his own pleasure.</p><p>When Nicky felt that he had done enough, he took off his shirt and used it to wipe his fingers. He ripped open a condom packet and slowly rolled it down. Carefully, Nicky placed Joe’s pulsing cock into his lube dripping hole and started bearing down.</p><p>“Fuck!” Joe grabbed Nicky’s hips as the other man slowly moved up and down, each time taking Joe deeper into himself. He tried thrusting up to match Nicky's rhythm and soon they were both groaning while chasing their mutual orgasms.</p><p>Nicky had his head thrown back, lost in his own ecstasy. Every time Joe surged up, it sent the most amazing sensations throughout his body. His cock was leaking all over Joe's stomach as it bobbed up and down with their motion. Then Joe took Nicky’s penis and started pumping while thrusting up even harder against Nicky's eager hole.</p><p>“Wait, Joe-- Ah, fuck if you do that-- I can't-- Ahh…" Nicky could barely form any coherent words as Joe continued stroking Nicky’s cock. Nicky grabbed the headboard with both hands to steady himself.</p><p>Nicky leaned forward until only the tip of Joe's cock was inside before slamming back down to the hilt. Joe shouted a curse as Nicky squeezed around him and quickened the pace. Biting his swollen lower lip, Nicky was gasping while his hair partially obscured his feverish eyes. Joe burned the sight of it into his memory.</p><p>“Joe, Joe, oh shit, this feels so good--” Nicky moaned. He was starting to lose his grip on the headboard as the pleasure was almost too much. When Nicky thought he couldn’t keep up his pace any longer, Joe rose up and wrapped his arms around him.</p><p>Joe buried his face into the crook of Nicky's neck. He kissed the flushed skin there while Nicky dug his nails into Joe's back. Their mouths met in a wet clash of lips and tongue as Joe continued thrusting deeper into Nicky.</p><p>Nicky's leaking cock trailed precum all over Joe's abs. He wrapped his arms around Joe’s neck as his lover obliterated any sanity he retained with each plunge of a throbbing member.</p><p>Gripping Nicky's hips, Joe started slamming him down to meet every thrust. Nicky started shouting in Italian as Joe fucked him harder and harder until Nicky was coming all over both of them. Joe was not far behind and he groaned loudly as he came.</p><p>They clung to one another as the orgasm worked its way through their bodies. Nicky was trembling a bit and Joe held him even tighter. Both were gasping with sweat running down their noses. Nicky kissed Joe’s brow and a small giggle came out unbidden.</p><p>Joe smiled at Nicky. “What’s so funny?”</p><p>“I don’t think we’re getting much cooking done today.” Nicky kissed Joe and drank the sweet moans that the kiss elicited. “I just want to eat you up instead.”</p><p>“I think I can arrange that,” said Joe.</p><p> </p><p>*******************</p><p> </p><p>Joe did eventually discover how comfortable that reading sofa was in Nicky's office.</p><p>Then he found out how springy the mattress was in the guest bedroom. Joe was also pleasantly surprised at the sturdiness of the writing desk when he bent Nicky over it to fuck him into a sobbing mess.</p><p>But if he had to choose his favorite spot in Nicky's house so far, it was the walk in shower. It was a good size for one person but a bit snug for two people. They squeezed in anyways to get cleaned up after all of their vigorous activities.</p><p>As the hot water poured over them, Joe stood behind Nicky and spread shampoo into his hair. Nicky groaned in pleasure as Joe's firm fingers worked the bubbles into the scalp. He was positively purring.</p><p>“I think you might have discovered a new erogenous zone for me.” Nicky tipped his head back so that Joe can reach the front.</p><p>“Have you never had anyone wash your hair before?” asked Joe.</p><p>Nicky shook his head. “That would involve someone coming over here.”</p><p>Joe started massaging Nicky along the nape of his neck and enjoyed the sounds that it produced. “So I’m the first boyfriend you invited to your house. The first to wash your hair in the shower.” He moved his hand along Nicky's chest and heard a small gasp. “Anything else I can check off the list?”</p><p>Nicky ducked his head under the spray of water to rinse out the shampoo. Once he was clean, he turned and grabbed the body wash. He squirted a generous amount and started running his soapy hands along Joe's shoulders and chest. Nicky grinned impishly as his hands wandered lower. “Well, I’ve never had sex in the shower.”</p><p>Joe closed his eyes blissfully as Nicky fondled him. He could feel every inch of Nicky plastered to his wet body from chest to groin. Joe opened his eyes and saw how much enjoyment Nicky was having from Joe’s reactions.</p><p>“Have I told you recently that you are a little shit?” said Joe.</p><p>Nicky hummed as if in agreement and then moved his hands to caress Joe's ass. “I vaguely remember you calling me that at work.”</p><p>“You can add tease to the mix.” Joe kissed Nicky on his handsome nose. “And lucky for us, I came prepared.”</p><p>Joe turned toward the ledge behind him that was built into the shower stall. He grabbed two items and showed Nicky his prize. “I was inspired by your box of sexual delights.”</p><p>He was holding up a bottle of silicone waterproof lube and a condom. Nicky laughed when he finally realized why Joe had dashed back to the bedroom before hopping into the shower. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I think the last thing we need is a concussion if we slip and fall.”</p><p>Joe had a confident little smirk on his face. “If you follow my lead, we should be just fine.” He reached up to turn the shower head so it wasn’t blasting them full on. Then he wrapped his arms around Nicky's waist and brought him close for a kiss. Even though they were wet from head to toe, somehow Nicky's mouth felt sinfully moist.</p><p>While his mouth was busy devouring Nicky, Joe opened the bottle and squeezed some into his hand. Then he started working his index finger into Nicky’s entrance. The other man gasped but started moaning with pleasure as Joe stretched him out. Soon, he had three fingers in and Nicky was begging.</p><p>“Please, Joe” Nicky started to plead. “I want you inside me.”</p><p>Joe stopped himself from coming at just hearing those words. Feeling a little frantic, Joe washed off some of the lube and reached for the condom. He carefully ripped the package and tried to put it over his waiting cock.</p><p>Unfortunately for Joe, his fingers were still slick with lube and he lost his grip. The condom landed with a wet plop on to the shower floor.</p><p>Nicky looked at Joe with a small grin. The other man was thoroughly exasperated with himself. “Guessing that wasn’t part of the plan?”</p><p>Joe sighed as Nicky's grin got bigger. “Definitely not but I knew it was a possibility.”</p><p>Nicky laughed at Joe's sheepish expression and kissed him. “I appreciate your diligence but is it a real issue for us?”</p><p>Joe knew what Nicky meant. When they had started dating, one of the more involved dialogue had been about the status of their health. It wasn’t a sexy conversation but absolutely necessary in any honest relationship. Luckily for both of them, they had been recently tested and everything had been negative.</p><p>Nicky wrapped his arms around Joe's torso and brought their faces close. He could feel Joe's breath on his lips. “Unless you plan to run off and be with other people?”</p><p>Shaking his head firmly, Joe returned the warm embrace. “Never. I don’t want anybody but you.”</p><p>“I feel the same,” said Nicky. He closed his eyes and kissed Joe again to show just how much he wanted him. Then he turned around and placed his hands on the wall. Nicky pulled back his ass cheek with his hand to reveal the entrance that was desperate for Joe.</p><p>“I can’t wait anymore. I need you right now.”</p><p>Joe cursed and grabbed the bottle again. He applied the lube to his aching cock and stroked himself several times to make sure it was well dispersed. Joe placed himself at the right angle and slowly entered Nicky.</p><p>Perhaps it was heat of the shower or the lack of barrier but Nicky felt absolutely incredible around him. Joe cried out as Nicky clenched around him even tighter as they moaned at the same time. Nicky braced against the wall and pushed back to feel even more of Joe's pulsing cock.</p><p>The cool tile that met Joe's back shocked his senses for a moment and his balls clenched in surprise. But it served as a counterpoint to just how hot it felt to be inside Nicky. Joe pumped his hips slowly at first but then started picking up speed. He used the wall as leverage so he could hit that sweet spot that Nicky loved.</p><p>“Right there! Fuck, Joe, it feels amazing.”</p><p>Joe started thrusting faster and deeper while his fingers dug into Nicky's hips. He could see the spray of hot water bouncing off the wall and pouring down Nicky's glistening back. Then Joe leaned forward to take Nicky's cock and started stroking it in time with his thrusts.</p><p>Another shout came from Nicky and it echoed loudly against the tiles. Joe's grip was gentle but relentless and he pumped his hand over the throbbing shaft. All Nicky could do was hang on and not slip as Joe thoroughly fucked him over and over.</p><p>“Nicky…I’m close…”</p><p>Nicky turned his head and Joe saw those beautiful green eyes were frantic with desire. His pupils were blown wide as he continued to push Joe's cock deeper into himself. “Don’t hold back. I want to feel you come inside me.”</p><p>Joe groaned and leaned forward to push even faster against Nicky. But his hand never stopped moving on Nicky's cock and he felt it twitch as Nicky came all over the shower wall. Joe cried out as his cock was clenched tight by Nicky’s orgasm and soon he was also coming. A few more thrusts and Joe had completely emptied himself into Nicky.</p><p>The shower was steamy from the hot water that continued to pour out. But Joe knew it wasn’t the only thing that had his head spinning. He slowly pulled his softening penis out of Nicky and tried to brace him so the other man didn’t slip. Nicky straightened himself and leaned back against Joe's chest. He felt the scrape of a stubbled chin as Joe nuzzled his shoulders.</p><p>“So how was your first time having sex in the shower?” Joe asked.</p><p>Nicky laughed and closed his eyes to savor the sensation of being in Joe's arms.</p><p>“Amazing”</p><p> </p><p>********************</p><p> </p><p>Joe was sitting behind Nicky and was drying his hair with a towel.</p><p>They managed to stumble back to the bedroom without falling. That was quite an accomplishment considering how shaky their legs had been. It didn’t help that they had been laughing so hard about their predicament.</p><p>Nicky was humming again in bliss as Joe worked the towel thoroughly over his head. “Has anyone ever told you that you have amazing hands?”</p><p>“I have heard that before. I’m glad it’s been useful today.”</p><p>Nicky turned and looked at Joe with his dancing eyes. “Oh, I’ve enjoyed them immensely today.”</p><p>But before he could reply with a witty comeback, Joe’s stomach growled in protest. Nicky snorted at the look on Joe's face and howled in laughter when Joe tackled him down on to the mattress.</p><p>“You’re laughing but it’s because I was lured here with the promise of food and instead--" Joe pinched Nicky along his side. “I’ve been at the mercy of your libido.”</p><p>Nicky arched his eyebrow in a mocking way. “Just mine?”</p><p>Joe chuckled and kissed Nicky's smiling mouth. “Okay, mine too.” Then to his shame, his stomach growled again. “Feel like cooking?”</p><p>Covering his eyes, Nicky groaned. “Not really. I don’t think my brain is ready to function properly and I’ll probably cut off my hand.” Nicky looked at Joe questioningly.  “And you?”</p><p>“Same. All right, delivery it is!” Joe got off the bed to hunt down his pants. Once he found them, he retrieved his phone and wallet. He returned to the bed and started looking for possible dinner options. “What do you want to eat? We skipped lunch so I’m starving.”</p><p>Nicky turned on his side so he could get a better look at Joe's profile. His eyes were glued to the screen as he scrolled through all the various options around the area. Nicky once again marveled at how such a beautiful man was currently in his bed. “I’m good with anything. I trust you.”</p><p>As Joe continued to browse through menus, Nicky inched closer to him and laid his arm across Joe's stomach. They were both still naked and Nicky welcomed the warmth that Joe radiated. As his hands idly stroked the skin over Joe's hip, Nicky was struck by how happy he was.</p><p>Everything felt so comfortable and right. Even small missteps had been met with humor instead of embarrassment. Nicky had never felt this in tune with another person. When he thought about how everyday could be like this, his heart clenched tight with joy. He loved everything about Joe.</p><p>He loved Joe.</p><p>Nicky's hand stilled for a moment while he processed that thought. Had he ever loved anyone before? Nicky had <em>liked</em> people before. Even felt desire and lust. But love? He didn’t think so. Then perhaps he was fooling himself?</p><p>But as he stared at Joe's face, Nicky knew he was definitely in love. Acknowledging that felt enormous to him and Nicky had to hold back from throwing himself at Joe.</p><p>“Hey, are you listening?”</p><p>Nicky suddenly realized that Joe had been calling him. He had been so lost in his reverie that he had not heard.</p><p>“If you keep touching me like that, I don’t know if we’ll eat dinner.”</p><p>Nicky finally noticed that his hand was stroking the inside of Joe's thigh. His knuckles were lightly brushing against Joe's cock which was showing signs of interest. Nicky moved his hand away and smiled in apology “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.”</p><p>“Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying it. But I think food is a good idea.” Joe pulled Nicky closer and showed him the phone screen. “Now help me pick out pizza toppings before I just eat you for dinner.”</p><p>They decided to fully customize the order instead of picking a set template. In the end, the combination of ingredients were either going to taste amazing or absolutely disgusting. Joe put in his card information before Nicky could protest and hit submit.</p><p>“Thank you for dinner,” said Nicky.</p><p>“My pleasure.”</p><p>Joe put his phone away so he could wrap both arms around Nicky. Their legs tangled together and he relished every bit of skin that was touching. Joe thought that he could spend every day and night being this close to Nicky and never tire of it.</p><p>“I hope you don’t mind that we didn’t work on your cookbook. I know that’s been a source of stress for you.” Joe tucked a strand of hair behind Nicky’s ear. Then Joe slowly caressed the small mole hiding in the short stubble.</p><p>“I’ve already been wrestling with it for a year. I’m sure my grandmother won’t mind one more day,” said Nicky.</p><p>They talked about the recipes and some of the challenges that Nicky had stumbled across. His main struggle was keeping the core flavor but making it into something new. Small quick kisses were interspersed throughout the conversation as they simply enjoyed being close to each other. So far, the sex had been amazing but basking in the afterglow was also appreciated.</p><p>Then their chat was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. They looked at each other in panic when they realized they were still naked. Joe got up and swiftly put on his underwear and grabbed his shirt off the floor.</p><p>“You stay put. I'll take care of this.”</p><p>Joe could hear Nicky cackling as he went downstairs. He tried to button his shirt but the doorbell rang for the third time so he gave up trying. Joe opened the door and saw a young man holding an insulated bag. He jumped in surprise when Joe blinded him with a smile that could light up a room.</p><p>“Hello! Sorry for the wait.”</p><p>The young man looked at Joe's state of undress and mussed up hair. Joe absolutely screamed of sex and the delivery driver blushed fiercely. He haltingly offered the receipt and pen while trying to look anywhere but the expanse of chest exposed by the open shirt. After Joe signed the paper, he offered the box of pizza in exchange.</p><p>“Thank you! And drive safe!”</p><p>Joe closed the door and took his prize to the dining area. He placed the box in the middle of the table and started gathering the needed items. Joe found the plates and cutlery fairly easily. Then he opened the bottle of red wine so that it could breathe before pouring. Finding the wine glasses were a little trickier but he did eventually spot them. Joe looked at the table with satisfaction as he surveyed his work.</p><p>Nicky came down the stairs wearing a fresh shirt and boxers. He looked at the pizza and wine set out by Joe and smiled. "This might be the most romantic dinner we've had yet." He sat down across from Joe and watched him pour the wine. "Hopefully the pizza isn't going to be a total disaster."</p><p>Joe laughed and took a slice on to his plate. "Hey, you're the one who wanted to make a science experiment out of this." He took a bite and chewed carefully. Then he hummed in pleasure. "Okay, I fully admit to doubting your choice of artichoke hearts but this is amazing."</p><p>After taking a bite as well, Nicky had to agree. "And I thought you wanting to drizzle BBQ sauce on top sounded sacrilegious but it actually adds a nice sweet smoky flavor. Well done." He held up his hands for a high five and Joe slapped their palms together with a satisfying sound.</p><p>"So once we actually get around to working on this cookbook, it's going to fly off the shelves right?" asked Joe.</p><p>Nicky swirled the wine in his glass before taking a sip. "That would be pretty interesting. I'm sure Andy would love all the PR." Nicky rolled his eyes.</p><p>"And you wouldn't? That's how a lot of high profile chefs get people to come through their doors, right?"</p><p>"I don't really like that kind of attention," said Nicky. His face scrunched up in annoyance. "I know a lot of chefs these days are all over social media and TV to be the next big thing but I don't enjoy that."</p><p>Joe remembered how he and Quynh could barely find anything when they were researching him. Nicky wasn't kidding about not liking online attention. "How come?"</p><p>"Because I didn't get to where I am on my own. My accomplishments couldn't have been achieved without the help and support of my staff. To try to promote myself as though I’m a solo act seems really disingenuous." Nicky chuckled and took another bite. "Besides, I don't think I’m interesting enough for social media”</p><p>Joe couldn’t believe how oblivious Nicky was to his appeal. Between the food porn level of his creations and his attractive looks, any posts by Nicky would be an Instagram dream. Everything from his thick hair to those soulful eyes framed a face so beautiful that Joe had already filled many pages of his sketchbook. If Nicky tried a little bit, he could probably garner a devoted following very easily.</p><p>“If you publish this, you might not get a choice,” replied Joe. “The publisher would want to market it and that would involve a lot of face time.”</p><p>Nicky crinkled his nose in distaste. “I never thought about that. Maybe I should just keep the book to myself.”</p><p>Joe poured more wine for Nicky and himself. “Whatever you want to do, I am fully in support. But if you publish this and you get super famous, you can be my sugar daddy, okay?”</p><p>Nicky almost choked on a bite of pizza as the laughter forced its way out. He was coughing and tears were pooling in the corner of his eyes. When he was breathing again, he looked at Joe dubiously. “I highly doubt that could happen. Do you know how many cookbooks get published in a year?”</p><p>Checking to make sure he didn’t have to do a Heimlich maneuver, Joe sat back down when he was sure Nicky was all right. “Not to sound shallow but if I was browsing the cookbook section and I saw your picture staring at me, I’d buy it for that alone.” Then Joe cocked his head to the side in contemplation. “Maybe it’s for the best that you don’t have social media. I don’t know if I can handle that much competition sliding into your DMs.”</p><p>“Slide into what?”</p><p>“Never mind, you adorable man.” Joe leaned across the table and flicked his finger on Nicky's forehead. “Now let’s finish before this gets cold.”</p><p>They enjoyed the rest of the unusual pizza they had ordered with more laughter and easy conversation. After they had their fill, Nicky insisted on cleaning up and ordered Joe to the living room to relax. But instead of sitting, Joe started looking at the books in Nicky's large collection.</p><p>He was intrigued to see that Nicky had books from many different genres. They had talked about their mutual love of sci-fi and fantasy so he wasn’t surprised that Nicky had all the classics. But he had a few titles that Joe didn’t recognize. He made a mental note to ask if he could borrow them.</p><p>Joe also saw a lot of non-fiction books. They ran the gamut from food history to marine biology. No surprise, there were many books on researching family history and genealogy. Some volumes were in Italian and Joe suspected those covered the region that Nicky's ancestors came from. Then one particular book caught Joe's eye.</p><p>He took it off the shelf and turned it to see the front. The title was “Homoerotic Poems of the Ancients.” The cover art had a Greek vase that depicted a row of men in some suggestive poses. He turned toward Nicky who was putting the left over pizza into a container and held the book up in question. “You got some interesting reading here.”</p><p>At the sight of the book, Nicky flushed red in embarrassment. “How the hell did you pick that out?”</p><p>Joe shrugged. “Talent?” He started leafing through the pages. “Oh my. This is some steamy stuff.” Joe wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. “I never knew you were so poetically inclined.”</p><p>Nicky put his face in his hands in mortification. “My mother got me that book.”</p><p>“What?” Joe exclaimed. “Okay, I have to hear this story.”</p><p>Nicky groaned. “Remember I told you I came out to my parents when I was 24? All things considered, my family took it pretty well. But my mother had a harder time coming to terms with certain details.” He rubbed the back of his neck while in thought. “She had hopes and dreams about how her children’s lives would be. My coming out kind off derailed some of the assumptions she had been working with.”</p><p>Joe watched as Nicky walked over to take the book from his hands. “What was your mother hoping for?”</p><p>“Oh, the usual I suppose. Marriage, a house, ten kids.” Nicky laughed when Joe choked on the amount of grandchildren mentioned. “She came from a really big family. So I’m not surprised she was a bit blindsided by my news.”</p><p>“But you know you could still have kids. Although it won’t be the way she thought,” said Joe.</p><p>“I know but I could barely string together a few months of a relationship so I didn’t want to promise her anything. I didn’t have the confidence to back it up.” Nicky flipped through the pages again. “She accepted my sexuality and wanted me to be happy but she was still struggling to fully understand. So she went to a bookstore to find some resources to help that process.”</p><p>Joe pointed to the book of poetry. “And this is what she found?”</p><p>“Actually, the first couple of books she tried didn’t resonate with her. I think they were more about analysis along with some serious academic journals.” Nicky chuckled at the memory. “But one of the clerks recommended this book and she liked it much better. Not surprising because she’s such a romantic.”</p><p>Nicky smiled softly at the book. “She told me that reading poems that were written from ancient times made her realize that my kind of love has always been around. And that just because I wasn’t following the script she had written in her head didn’t mean I couldn’t find love and family.”</p><p>Joe hugged Nicky and kissed his forehead. “She’s right.” Then he beamed at Nicky with a wide smile. “Between my mom’s usage of anatomical models and your mother's erotic poetry book, I think we got pretty lucky in our parentage.”</p><p>“I can’t disagree with that!”</p><p>He watched as Nicky stepped away from his arms to put the book back onto the shelf. “Did you have a favorite poem?” asked Joe.</p><p>“There were so many beautiful ones. The author had sourced them from all over the place. Ancient Greece, Japan, Persia…” Nicky trailed off in thought. “But if I had to pick one, it would be Love in Bloom.”</p><p>“Abu Nuwas?” Joe said in pleasant surprise.</p><p>Nicky was startled by Joe's accurate assessment. “Yes. How did you know?”</p><p>“I took some poetry in college as electives. I was going to lose my mind if I only took business and economic classes.” Joe nodded his approval at Nicky's choice. “He's pretty famous for his subject matter, which was a lot about drinking and sex with other men. They even mention him on One Thousand and One Nights.”</p><p>Nicky whistled, feeling impressed. “I didn’t realize he was that well known.”</p><p>Joe chuckled and then wrapped his arms around Nicky again. Then he placed his lips close against Nicky's ear and started whispering.</p><p>
  <em>I die of love for him, perfect in every way<br/>Lost in the strains of wafting music.<br/>My eyes are fixed upon his delightful body<br/>And I do not wonder at his beauty.<br/>His waist is a sapling, his face a moon<br/>And loveliness rolls off his rosy cheek.<br/>I die of love for you, but keep this secret<br/>The tie that binds us is an unbreakable rope.<br/>How much time did your creation take, O angel?<br/>So what! All I want is to sing your praises.</em>
</p><p>The breath caught in Nicky's throat finally released once Joe was done reciting the poem. The softly whispered words had made his legs feel like jelly.</p><p>“Shall I tell you another poem by Abu Nuwas?” asked Joe. When Nicky silently nodded, Joe nipped an earlobe with his teeth before whispering again.</p><p>
  <em>A gentle fawn passed around the cup.<br/>Delicate of waist and slim of flank.<br/>“Will you be on your way, come morn?” he chirped.<br/>“How can we bear to leave?” came the reply.<br/>He glided among us and made us drunk<br/>And we slept, but as the cock was about to crow<br/>I made for him, my garments trailing, my ram ready for butting.<br/>When I plunged my spear into him—</em>
</p><p>Nicky moaned and turned his face to seal Joe’s lips with a kiss. The rest of the poem was forgotten amidst their passion. When they finally separated to get some air, Joe looked thoroughly debauched from Nicky's ardent efforts.</p><p>“Guessing you liked that one?” panted Joe.</p><p>“Very much.” Nicky fondled the bulge that was growing bigger between Joe’s legs. “I’m particularly fond of this spear.”</p><p>Joe planted both of his hands against the wall and savored the way Nicky caressed him. “Is this the dessert course then?” Joe playfully bit on Nicky’s lower lip.</p><p>“All good meals finish with sweets, right?” Nicky couldn’t help a small snort escape as he laughed at the thought of Joe being the dessert. Then he pointed at the coffee table. “I suggest you grab what we need there.”</p><p>Joe looked at the small drawer that was set under the wooden top. He carefully made his way over and opened it to reveal a bottle of lube. He held it up and shook his head at Nicky in disbelief. “I am 100% convinced now that you didn’t invite me to work on the cookbook.”</p><p>Nicky was leaning against the wall so his legs wouldn’t fail him. He covered his eyes in embarrassment but couldn’t stop the impish grin from shining through. “I must admit I was feeling hopeful for…certain outcomes.”</p><p>Joe stripped off his underwear as he made his way back. Then he turned Nicky so he was facing the wall. “You’re wish is my command.” Joe pulled Nicky's boxers down to reveal his perky ass and poured the lube to start getting him ready. Nicky laid his forehead against the wall and whimpered as Joe worked his fingers deftly in and out. It wasn’t long before Joe was pushing in and filling him to the brim.</p><p>Joe started whispering more poetry into Nicky's ear as he slowly fucked him.</p><p>If someone had told Nicky a few months ago that a beautiful man was going to quote ancient love poems while bringing him to the edge of ecstasy, Nicky would have laughed in disbelief. But that was exactly what was happening now.</p><p>Nicky's leaking cock rubbed against the wall as each of Joe's thrusts plastered him to the cool surface. Joe kept changing the tempo of his thrusts from shallow to deep and it was almost too much. He could barely make out Joe’s words but the sound of his voice was intoxicating.</p><p>Soon, Nicky was coming all over his belly as he cried out Joe's name. Joe gritted his teeth as Nicky's entrance tightened further around him and his cock spurted hot semen deep into his lover.</p><p>Nicky was still breathing hard from their exertion. He turned his head to look at Joe with adoring eyes. “I think I made a bit of a mess.”</p><p>Joe looked down at where they were still connected. “I think I made one too. Shower?”</p><p>“Okay but let’s just get cleaned up. I don’t think I can stand upright for too long after what you just did to me.” Nicky looked at the wall. “And…let’s get this cleaned later too.”</p><p>They managed to stumble upstairs while trying not to giggle too hard. As promised, Joe was on his best behavior as they washed again. After thoroughly drying each other, they fell back into bed and held each other close. It was the same position as the night when Nicky had taken a drunken Joe back to his apartment. Joe had his face firmly buried against Nicky's hair and softly nuzzled the exposed neck.</p><p>“This has been the strangest day of my life,” said Nicky.</p><p>“Strange in what way?” asked Joe.</p><p>Nicky laid his hand over Joe's arm that was wrapped around his torso. “I’ve never spent all day just... enjoying myself like this. Guess I always felt a bit guilty.” He brought Joe’s hand to his lips and kissed the fingertips. “I feel so hedonistic. You’re a bad influence.”</p><p>Joe snorted in response. “Says the man stashing lube in all the drawers.”</p><p>Soft laughter shook Nicky’s body. He couldn’t deny that he had definitely acted outside of his usual comfort zone. As he savored Joe’s warmth, his eyes started to droop heavily. They had spent the majority of the day and night being physically active in the most delicious fashion. His body ached in a way that was new but so completely satisfying.</p><p>“Want to do this forever…” mumbled Nicky, as he started to fall asleep.</p><p>Joe perked up at Nicky's sleep slurred words. “Do what forever?”</p><p>“Be with you…”</p><p>A gentle snore started coming from Nicky. His breathing deepened but his grip on Joe's arm did not loosen. Joe kissed the back of Nicky's neck as happy tears started to leak from his eyes.</p><p>“Me too, Nicky.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Did I write a chapter where Joe and Nicky basically just have sex and food? Yup. I did. Quynh totally called it. That woman is a genius.</p><p>I had fun injecting some awkwardness into it because sex can be messy! I love the idea that Joe and Nicky feel so secure in each other that they don't get derailed by silly mishaps.</p><p>*Mom Voice* But hey if you are not using condoms, better get tested first and be fluid bonded! </p><p>Shout out to Lolo and Tini for my moral support. I think I over promised with this chapter but I hope you still enjoyed it!</p><p>You can find me at <a href="https://kiaya.tumblr.com/">my Tumblr page</a>. All of your lovely kudos and comments make me SO HAPPY. Thank you!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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